Practical Examinations
by Avixi Lynn
Summary: When Will Graham risks failing English Lit, he turns to Hannibal for tutoring only to find his mind and heart opened up to the world through Hannibal Lecter's eyes, and all the madness and mystery within it. High School AU! Rated M now due to mild language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Practical Examinations **

**Avixi Lynn**

**Short Author Note: Hey guys! I just wanted to start off by saying...hi! So, HI! This is my first time submitting a story, and I am very much excited to see how many people truly will enjoy this fanfiction. **

**A few minor details before you begin reading. I obviously do not own the rights to the characters in the Hannibal universe, those works of art all are credited to Thomas Harris. I am a big fan of his work, and this fanfiction is both based off his novels, and the TV show Hannibal on NBC by Bryan Fuller. As you will read on, you'll notice I have used a few characters from the novels, and the rest from the TV show.**

**This however is a High School AU (Alternate Universe) and all the major characters are either students or teachers.**

**Have fun reading, mein fronds, and please remember to submit a review! It helps a LOT!  
>Avixi<strong>

**Chapter 1**

"I'm not impressed in the slightest, Will Graham." A thump and fluttering of a thin examination leaflet was all that filled the silent void as young Will Graham trained his light colored eyes hidden behind thick, black rimmed glasses up at his English Literature teacher, Mr. Gideon. He peered back down at the paper the teacher had handed him-or his desk, more appropriately-and a big D- in blue ink stared back at him, almost in a taunting fashion.

"Well, that makes two of us, Mr. Gideon." Was all he could muster as he resisted the urge to throw his head into his hands and degrade himself. He had to admit; he could have studied and prepared much better and reviewed the material more thoroughly. English Literature was never Will Graham's strongest subject, or most desired subject either. But the requirements of Baltimore State High School insisted that at least three credits in English Literature needed to be taken by all students alike. He was faced with an inescapable situation right from the very start.

"Will, I do not want to have to hold you back this year, I really don't. But these grades are just getting consistently worse..." Mr. Gideon sighed, trailing off as he ran a chubby hand through his sandy colored hair.

"I understand. I thought that by the time grade ten rolled in I would have understood the material..." Will admitted both to himself and to his well regarded teacher.

Mr. Gideon searched for the unspoken, unrevealed solution to the issue around his empty classroom, eyeing desks with chairs not even partly tucked in as his last class for a gloomy Friday had rushed out the moment the last bell rang. Nothing but dust and debris danced about, as if romancing the air in the room.

"I don't know what other options you have left, Will. I'm really trying, here. You're a good student, I know how well you are doing in your other classes. But English Literature clearly is not your taste."

Will gathered his worn out book bag and clutched it to his chest desperately, feeling as if all the oxygen in the room had suddenly been sucked out by a large, demonic vacuum. When it came to his future and academic success, it was practically a matter of life and death. He certainly didn't want his adoptive mother to receive more grievances anyway. It was bad enough and much of a burden on her as it was due to all the phone calls she received from the school because of other students bullying and tormenting Will. This was the last thing she needed.

"Are you alright, Will?" Mr. Gideon trained his light cold blue eyes on Will once more.

Will only nodded, standing up slowly on shaky legs. "Don't worry about it, Mr. Gideon. I promise I can and _will_ find a way to pass this course. Even if it kills me."

All Mr. Gideon did in response was smile lightly and pat Will once on the shoulder; a reassuring comfort move.

Will nodded and walked out of the classroom dragging his feet with him in shame and regret.  
>****************************************************************************<p>

The halls of Baltimore State High School were very empty and practically looming of a ghostly essence by the time Will got to his locker to grab his umbrella and coat. The windows facing his locker were soaked like the very ocean.

Will sighed lightly as he fumbled with the lock. The combination was not difficult at all to remember; but it was the lock itself that was the problem. It was an old lock due to the fact that Baltimore State High School wanted to cut back on its budget and spend as little money on renewing school items and property as possible, so many of the locks were reused from previous years.

It had to have been Will's divine and wonderful luck to receive one of the most rusty locks and the most sensitive ones. He had to practically marry his eyes and fingers to the lock, and gently skate his fingertips across the dial, hitting and touching each number perfectly on the spot in order to be rewarded with the gracious "click", signalling the success of his actions.

He was almost at the last number when a small, pale, red-finger nail painted hand slammed on his back, thus succeeding in scaring Will out of his skin and messing up the orderly fashion of the combination.

Will cursed internally when he turned and met the owner of the intruding hand.

"Freddy, what the hell is wrong with you? Most normal people at least say "hi" or something!" He hissed practically.

Freddy Lounds, who was a year younger than Will, was one of the world's most annoying ninth graders, according to practically the entire student and teacher body. She was of medium height, but her vibrant, fiery red hair made her stand out among her peers, and her odd, yet intriguing sense of clothing and fashion made everyone alike wonder and marvel at her.

Today she wore a flashy dark green skirt with matching dark green high heels, and a formal business-like top jacket, only with grey and black checkered patterns peppered all along her top. Her hair stood in a few odd directions, most likely due to the rain and humidity.

"That w_as_ my way of saying "hi", Will." She smirked a cheeky grin that Will wanted to knock off with his umbrella. But giving more attention to Freddy Lounds was the last thing on his mind at the moment.

"Why are you still here?" He barked at her, finally opening the lock after the millionth try.

"I could ask you the same thing." She retorted back, checking out her red painted nails, bored already.

Will rolled his eyes as he gathered the rest of his belongings. "And I will respond the same way I normally do whenever you ask me questions that are absolutely _none _of your concern...none of your damn business." He turned and slammed the locker door shut and locked it angrily.

Freddy smirked in response. "Why all the anger, Will? Home problems? Or school problems?"

"Freddy, one day you are going to end up asking the wrong person the wrong questions on the wrong day." Will warned as he began marching down the hall and towards the exit of the school.

"Perhaps you see it that way, Will. But there is always an opportunity, in my eyes. I consider it the right question, at the right time, with the wrong person."

Will snorted. "The _wrong_ person?"

Freddy nodded. "Of course! It is always the negative influences that gather the most attention and the greatest amount of success."

"Freddy, all you seek is drama. All you ARE is drama. This all is not surprising at all to me." Will concluded, finally opening up his umbrella as he stood with Freddy by his side under the roof of the school, right under the eaves trough, listening to the sound of water rolling down from the sky, gathering in puddles everywhere, pitter-pattering here and there, as if conducting a magnificent ballet for him. He closed his eyes, and suddenly he was not with Freddy. He was not at Baltimore State High School. He was sitting right in front of a large, dimly lit stage in a dark theater. Dancers in silver outfits danced about in swift movements, as if acrobats. Their moves each were precise and carefully organized. The tapping of their shoes and feet across the wonderfully waxed wooden floor of the stage echoed all throughout the theater, and resonated back to Will's ears. Each step the dancers took were calling his name..."Will, Will, Will..." 

"WILL!"

He opened his eyes abruptly to look at Freddy waving her hand in his face in annoyance.

"I swear to God, you do this _all _the time! You zone out and all act alien-like. No wonder you can't find an easy time with women!" She insulted him, pulling out her own small black umbrella with strange designs unknown and unrecognizable to human eyes.

"Yeah yeah. Sorry I am lacking your grace and finesse on the matter, Freddy. But I'll take a rain check on it." He laughed at his own joke.

Freddy rolled her eyes and walked off into the rain. Will cheered internally. _"Thought she'd never go!"_

She turned and grinned at him. "Oh, by the way, did I mention that you forgot our History class textbook in your locker?"

He frowned. "You're telling me this _now?_"

Freddy reached into her bag once again and pulled out a cigarette and lit it, blowing out a bile cloud of smoke in Will's direction. "No, I noticed back when you opened your locker door and I knew we had homework for the weekend. I just thought it was priceless and amusing how much you struggle with that damn lock combination." With that last statement in, she turned on her heels and walked off with her curly red hair swaying slightly in the wind.

"Have a good weekend, Will Graham!" She shouted and waved, not even bothering to turn back to face Will as he stood rooted to the spot, stuttering.

"FREDDY LOUNDS, YOU BITCH!" He yelled against the growing wind and rain. But his only answer was the cold spray of water in his face.  
>******************************************************************************<p> 


	2. Meeting Hannibal

**Practical Examinations **

**Avixi Lynn**

**Brief Author Note: Nothing new to add here guys, except read and review and enjoy the fanfic, and again I do not own Hannibal or the universe and characters. This is all for fun and the fact that I immensely enjoy writing!**

**Avixi**

**Chapter 2**

"We are proud and absolutely pleased to announce that for the fourth year in a row, Hannibal Lecter is being awarded with the Student Honours Achievement Award! Hannibal, please come up to receive your award!" A thunderous roar of applause echoed throughout the stadium of Baltimore State High School as well known for his success in academics twelfth grader student Hannibal Lecter walked up to the stage as instructed.

This was no surprise for him, and the taste of the success and fame had long since over stayed its welcome. It was merely routine for him at this point. He did not care for the validation of his peers and teachers. He did not come to the school for that purpose in mind. He came for the deliberate purpose of demonstrating his intellectual superiority over his fellow classmates.

The lights of the stadium gleamed above, reflecting on his dirty blond hair as he finally climbed up the steps and approached the podium, wearing a neutral and unreadable expression on his face. Hannibal despised being an "open book". He did not like others figuring him out. He enjoyed remaining a mystery in the eyes of others.

He calmly collected the golden plaque with his name written in big capital letters and stared down at his fellow classmates and schoolmates. He enjoyed the way he was up high on the podium. Hannibal Lecter was nearly six feet tall already, and by far towered over most of the students in his school-save the occasional football or basketball player. He enjoyed being superior in height and intellect. He smiled lightly, not wanting to reveal his large teeth which often had been the bane of his existence and the mockery from younger students in previous schools.

"How much do you wanna bet he was sucking the teachers and principal off for that award? I mean every year he wins a damn award? Come on...he's gotta be bonin' some teacher!" Jack Crawford whispered like a bug to his best friend Tobias Budge. Both African American students sat directly behind Will and were doing more than merely annoying him.

For two years in a row now, Will Graham had grown to admire Hannibal Lecter tremendously. He had heard tons of stories about the boy since he entered Baltimore State High School in grade nine, and truth be told, the tales were all true.

Hannibal did not need to study countless hours into the morning and put so much energy into his classes; he was practically a born genius. A natural child-prodigy. A lot of students rumored and speculated he would go on to become a doctor of some kind, given his talent.

Will didn't doubt that much at all. After all, it was Hannibal Lecter they were discussing. However, there was something rather odd and off about the boy. Will could not put his finger on it entirely, but whenever Hannibal passed him by in the hallways, he would never speak or utter a word or phrase to Will, but instead stare directly into his eyes and make Will feel threatened. Will did not enjoy eye contact and hardly ever made eye contact even with close friends. He felt that the eyes of a person revealed too much and would only throw you off from the topic at hand as a distraction. What if the whites of the eyes of the person speaking to you were not really white but instead indicated some form of Hepatitis?

Will suddenly was yanked out of his internal ramblings and stupor when he felt a spitball land on the back of his neck. Either Budge or Crawford, but he was very sure it was Tobias. Jack Crawford was more cunning and was the evil genius behind most heinous plots at the school. His right hand man was Tobias, and the boy did pretty much everything Jack asked of him. Jack could ask Tobias to blow up the entire school, and he would most likely comply. It was a rather sad spectacle, but Will did nothing in response. He did not move or utter a word. He kept his breathing low. He never wanted to argue or get into a fight with Jack or Tobias. He actually did not mind Jack as a whole. The boy was not so bad by himself, he just got together and associated with the wrong crowd and often let his ulterior, personal motives get in the way and get the better of his character, Will decided.

Hannibal's mini-speech at the top of the stage was now over, and he stepped down gently, each long leg touching the steps as if with a purpose set in mind already. Will froze in his seat, watching Hannibal closely as if he were a magician, and Will was his audience looking for the one revealing trick of the performance.

But there was none, and Hannibal eventually caught Will staring and gave a small tilt of his thin face, his cheekbones practically pointed at Will, as if accusing him of staring.

Will looked away bashfully. He had to admit, the boy was a work of art. He had high, defined cheekbones, with his dark, piercing eyes always trained on someone. His hair was normally parted to the left, or slicked back with light gel which made his hair shine radiantly. His thin red lips struck Will the most. How could a man have such delicate, yet luscious lips?

_"I must not go gay for Hannibal Lecter, I must not go gay for Hannibal Lecter, I must not go gay for Hannibal Lecter..." _Will chanted in his mind, although he knew he most certainly he was not gay. Will had terrible luck with women as a whole, but he had experienced a few small kisses with girls in middle school. The super nerdy, geeky girls who often played video games with him on weekends. At least they had spared him the mercy.

But Will's most desperate and strongest romantic blossoming had started in the eleventh grader Alana Bloom. Alana was the most beautiful girl Will had ever laid eyes on. She had thick, wavy dark brown hair that almost appeared sensually black in some lighting. Her blue eyes romanced Will to the end of time. He felt called to them, felt called to her. To please her, to spend time with her, to make her the most happy woman in the world. He was immediately drawn to her.

But she was a year older than him, and often hung around a lot of well known popular girls. Rumor had it that she had been best friends with Beverly Katz, an Asian girl in the school, but they had a falling out due to Alana accusing Beverly of copying her science test scores in grade ten. The school dealt with the issue and no one was punished or apprehended, but Beverly and Alana had not spoken since, let alone be kept in the same room together. Everyone felt the immense fire of their hatred burning for one another as soon as they crossed paths.

Will did not let the rumors get to the better of him, though. He still went with his feelings for Alana, and for many nights in a row after dreaming about Alana, he planned on how to best approach her to ask her out. Sure she may laugh in his face, but he had nothing else to lose, right? Oh wait, his test scores...right.

He shook his head and brought himself back to reality, which included being met with the eyes of Hannibal Lecter as the older boy took his seat right next to an empty one to the right side of Will! 

Will felt frozen to his chair. If an earthquake were to happen, he doubted he would be able to move to save his own life. Hannibal Lecter tended to have that effect on people.

_"Quick! What do I do? What do I say!?"_ Will's thoughts panicked. All he did, however, was continue to avoid eye contact with the older boy, who most definitely was staring at him...or was he merely simply sitting next to him? Will was not sure...

_"One look won't hurt, right?"_ He casually looked up from under his lashes. Cold dark eyes peered down at his own bifocal-covered ones, expression unreadable.

_"Shit! He's definitely staring now!" _ Will panicked even further. They had both made eye contact, before and after Hannibal had approached the seat next to Will. It would be rude not to say something...just any small thing would do, right? Will Graham was not the most sociable teenager in the world, but then again, which teenager was, really?

He gathered his guts and let wind flow through his esophagus and trachea, and looked in Hannibal's direction, but careful not to meet his possessive, gripping gaze.

"Ummm...I suck at English Lit."

_"No! You idiot! What kind of a greeting was that!? He'll think I am such a blundering moronic child now!" _Will wanted to crawl under his seat in the stadium and just die. He hadn't meant to vocalize such a silly thought, but it was too late now.

Hannibal breathed gently. "Nice to meet you as well, Will Graham."

_"...How the hell does he know my name?" _Will's eyes widened to the point where they were covering his lenses, practically.

"Might I be of any service to you in that regard, Will?" Hannibal inquired gently.

Will coughed. Time to cover up and be a man. "Yeah absolutely, I mean I know you're very strong in academics, so I would appreciate any time you take in discussing this matter with me. It would be of great benefit to me."

_"Smooth!" _There was hope, and he beamed at himself internally.

"Indeed, all that is noted, Will. But for now I think you better get out of this seat and exit the perimeter." Hannibal stated, as calmly as before.

"Huh? Why? What?" Will asked, his voice rising in panic.

Hannibal merely gestured in the direction of Mr. Gideon, who mouthed the word "Get out" to Will.

"You should know, it is very impolite to speak during a student assembly, Will." Hannibal spoke softly, eyes still on Will.

_"You started it..." _Will glared but rose out of his seat and marched off to the exit, careful not to slam the door on the way out, imaging slamming it on Hannibal's perfectly shaped head, ruining that perfectly arranged and parted hair.


	3. Gym Class Woes

**Practical Examinations **

**Avixi Lynn**

**Enjoy guys! And I just wanted to thank those who left reviews (and if you didn't, I will haunt you for the rest of your life -_-) just kidding, hehe.**

**I may also work on a few other short stories in the near future, by the way, for Attack On Titan! Keep your eyes peeled for that!**

**Happy trails, fronds!**

**Avixi**

**Chapter 3**

No one in the span of the elapsed thirty-three minutes into Will's gym class had yet passed the hockey puck to him. Every Tuesday, Will's schedule was set so he had gym and fitness from 9:40 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Still a long way to go, and not a single person had selected him to be on their team, or even bothered giving him a chance and passing the hockey puck to him. How was he ever supposed to get along with anyone this way?

Their gym and fitness class teacher, a tall man with dark hair and dark eyes, of apparently Italian descent, Mr. Paul Krendler, was a very narcissistic man of sorts. Yes, he was dashingly handsome, and many of the females in Will's class were always going gaga over him and constantly talking about how attractive Mr. Krendler was. It drove Will insane, for he saw right through the man and saw nothing bright or attractive about him. He was very selfish, always giving his own reflection a long admirable stare whenever he found a mirror, and always fixed his hair instead of tried connecting with students. He wasn't Will's favourite teacher, to say the least.

Will sat on the side benches awkwardly, with his hockey stick in hand, resting against his legs. He watched Tobias Budge and Jack Crawford high-fiving each other as they aided each other in scoring probably the twentieth goal for the class period so far. Their hockey sticks clanked and smashed against the aluminum floors of the school's gym, almost slapping Will's ears.

Will leaned back and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. He imagined himself in a dark but large enchanting forest. Everywhere, fire-breathing dragons flew past him, opening their large, hungry mouths and shooting fire everywhere except at Will. The flames they emitted landed on thick oak trees, the cracking and burning sound wooing Will as he stood in the forest, admiring a particular dragon's scaly hide. Even in the dark, and whatever little light the fires created, he could practically count each golden brown scale. The dragon lifted its head and roared into the night sky, the sound mixing with the cracking and popping of the fire on the wood. Will gave a slow smile, as if responding to the dragon's wilderness.

Suddenly, the dragon looked down at Will, as if it noticed him for the first time ever. Its eyes narrowed viciously, and it bore its shiny, sharp, dangerous white teeth at him. Will stopped smiling immediately. A large black tail with a pointed end that was covered in deadly spikes rose from the side of the dragon, looping once lazily around the dragon's body. Will tried to drown out the sound of the cracking and popping as the fire grew behind him in the bushes and trees. It was almost deafening now!

The dragon roared once more, and Will raised his hands as if it would save him from the dangerous, demonic beast. The dragon's tail finally lashed out, and drove forward straight for Will, slapping against his tenderly stubbled youthful face, slamming his head back onto the brick wall of the gym of Baltimore State High School.

"Ow!" Will cried out, not too loudly as the black, ice puck slammed against his left cheek and resulted in smashing his head back into the wall the bench he was resting on was up against. He rubbed his left cheek, but immediately regretted the action within seconds of facing a burning pain like no other he felt before. It was as if he had gotten punched in the face.

"I'm so sorry Will! I didn't mean it! It was an accident!" The frightened voice of a chubby tenth grade boy by the name of _Franklyn_ Froideveaux called out to Will. The chubby boy waddled over to the bench, resting a large sweaty hand on Will's shoulder.

"Are you alright? Are you going to have a concussion!?" He asked, his voice rising in volume, successfully embarrassing Will.

Will pushed Franklyn's sweaty hand away gently, so not to hurt his feelings. Will was not Franklyn's friend, but the odd day or two he found himself having decent, civil conversations with the young boy whenever he saved him a seat at the school cafeteria. Will didn't mind Franklyn, but the kid was a klutz when it came to gym class, and usually ended up hurting himself and other students whenever he strained to keep up with his more fit peers. Will felt sorry for Franklyn, and tried extending a kind favour to him whenever possible. He only knew too well how cruel teenagers could be, and only wanted to treat Franklyn how he wished others would treat him.

Will managed a pained smile. "I'm fine, Franklyn. But next time, try aiming for the net, yeah?" He joked calmly, getting up as Mr. Krendler silently motioned for Will to get in the rink and let Franklyn take a break, before more students were endangered.

Will walked forward with his hockey stick, feeling slightly dizzy and inwardly groaning as he watched his own vision blur slightly. The force of the impact of the puck had been more critical than he originally thought. But Will tried shaking it off like a man. He didn't want to appear weak in the eyes of his classmates.

Suddenly, his ears felt as if someone had shoved two sticks of dynamite in them and set the detonator off. Mr. Krendler blew his infernal whistle, scaring many students around Will. Will closed his eyes painfully and endured another oncoming headache.

"Why doesn't Graham have a team!?" Mr. Krendler asked the students, many of whom shrugged or looked at the walls and floors of the gym idly.

"It's ok Mr. Krendler, we'll take him on our team this time." Jack Crawford spoke, earning a glance from Will that showed shock and sheer joy. Will always wanted to be on Jack's team, for the other boy was very good at sports, and he could teach everyone a thing or two better than Mr. Krendler.

Mr. Krendler nodded at Jack, and once again blew that damning whistle from hell to get the game started.

Will gathered his strength and energy, and assumed the position as he stood close to Jack. Jack smiled and passed the hockey puck to Will. It was as if all of Will's dreams were slowly coming true. Soon he would be popular like Jack, hang out with him at most hours of the day, earn a better reputation, and possibly get in a good word from Jack in the eyes of Alana Bloom... One could only hope...

"Will, get to the front, on the double!" Jack barked at Will, as he raced forward and passed a few other players who wore intense expressions on their faces.

"Right!" Will called, wanting to be the best team player he could be. He dodged a violent push from a bulky eleventh grader, his smaller frame giving him the advantage of speed and agility. His stick shot out in front of him, tangling with a few other members of the opposing team as they battled for the hockey puck that Jack had passed.

Will ignored and pushed back the pounding of his head, not wanting to the let the throbbing get the better of him. He battled for minutes on end, but was rewarded when the puck slid out from under the array of attacking hockey sticks and was under his own grasp.

_"Yes!"_ He ran ahead of the others, wanting to leave them in their own tangled mess for as long of a distraction as possible. He saw Jack near the goalie net, looking over in his own direction, but not at Will...

Will frowned slightly. He had the puck! This was their chance! Why didn't Jack meet Will's eyes or at least call out to him?

"Mr. Krendler! We're winning!" Jack called to their teacher. Will looked back at Mr. Krendler, who had a puzzled expression on his face. What was Jack up to? Mr. Krendler had eyes of his own, he didn't need the commentary.

The hooting and booing of thirty-five boys assaulted Will's ears. He suddenly looked at them, a confused expression on his face. But his question was soon answered when he felt the cold breeze of the gym hit the bare skin of his knees and thighs.

Tobias had snuck up behind Will while Jack had momentarily stolen their teacher's attention, and pulled down Will's navy blue gym shorts right down to his white running shoes. His grey boxer briefs were visible for the entire class.

It was as if all time had come to a halt. Numerous fingers pointed at him, mouths of his fellow peers open dramatic, laughter much like gawking and hooting of hyenas aimed at him.

"See! I knew he wore Fruit of the Loom!" Jack barked at the rest of the boys, earning a rise in laughter.

"Will Graham! Get back into the change rooms and dress properly if you ever want to participate in this class for the rest of the semester!" Mr. Krendler yelled over the laughter, entirely oblivious to what Tobias had done.

Will felt his eyes burning, partly from the hit of the puck from Franklyn, and the other half from trying to hold back his tears. He was absolutely devastated and humiliated. He was never going to get over this. The entire school would be mocking him for months, at this rate.

All he did was nod, and avoid all eye contact with everyone in the entire room and utter a small "Yes sir." He slowly pulled up his gym shorts, but noticed that the elastic band holding the shorts up had been torn apart. His shorts would never hold again unless he got new ones or get the elastic re-fit. Tobias had pulled down Will's shorts with such force, that the elastic had given way. But Will was absolutely sure Tobias had done that on purpose.

He quickly walked off to the change room, blocking out the laughter from his classmates as best he could, but noticing the sympathizing look from Franklyn as he turned to close the gym doors on his way out.  
>******************************************************************************<p>

Will did not even bother eating his lunch in the school cafeteria. He sat alone under a tree he had made his favourite the moment he arrived at the school in grade nine. It was a wonderfully shady cover, hiding anyone who chose to take refuge under it from the rest of the world. It was as if no one could judge him or hurt him under the protection of the tree. It was a magnificently tall tree, bearing a few small pears which were usually all eaten by animals before they even took full bloom. Not that Will minded, he often would chance upon the odd squirrel or two up in the branches above him, chattering to one another as they held a yellow or green pear in their little clawed paws, chewing it and turning it over and over in their firm grip, as if it were the most precious and desired thing in the world to them.

As long as he didn't disturb them, they didn't disturb him. They would sometimes peer down at him, as if questioning whether or not he would take their source of food, but Will would only offer them a piece of his lunch, often consisting of left-over walnuts or almonds he didn't favour eating. After the first year of his time at Baltimore State High School, Will had earned the trust and the friendship of a few grey squirrels. They never came too close to him, but they would joyously accept his offering of food, and remain a few branches above him at best.

It was still a better friendship than he had had with most other students. At least the squirrels never hurt him, called him names, or judged him and excluded him from their social circle. Will felt oddly at ease with the squirrels.

Today he offered a few almonds to the squirrels, leaving them at the bottom of the tree trunk, wanting to test whether or not they would venture closer to him today. After all, it had been a little over a year, and Will desperately needed the closeness at the moment.

He waited patiently for a few minutes, but the gentle wind was his only companion. He peered up at the tree, but the thick branches and leaves were the only things he could see. He didn't hear any movement either, and he felt his heart sink a little.

"Looking for the answers to life's mysteries in the higher branches of the tree, Will?" The cold, calm voice of Hannibal Lecter covered the air, as if commentating for a nature documentary.

Will gasped slightly, and turned to Hannibal. He felt his breath stop for a brief moment. Hannibal was wearing a thin white sweater, with long sleeves and the collars nearly buttoned up, not revealing an inch of skin except his hands. He wore grey dress pants which fit him very properly, and to top it all off he wore shiny black dress shoes which gleamed in the sunlight. The laces were done up all prim and proper. His hair was in his face today and not gelled or slicked back. But Will still found it proper and fashionable, nonetheless.

Will didn't say anything for a long time, but just as he had come up with a great response, Hannibal turned his attention down to the bottom of the tree, eyeing the almonds lying in the grassy roots of the tree.

"I am unsure of differences in cultures, Will, but I do know for a fact that in most Western civilizations, one needs water, soil, and adequate sunlight in order for growing and keeping a tree healthy; not almonds." The sarcastic remark followed by a judgemental stare from Hannibal made Will grind his teeth together slightly.

"I left it out as I usually do for some animals who reside in this tree. That's all." Will muttered under his breath.

Hannibal ignored the comment and gestured towards Will's red lunchbox. "Might I occupy the seat next to you, please?"

Will strained his ears. Perhaps he had misheard. "I-I beg your pardon?"

Hannibal stared silently. "Kindly make room so I can sit down, if you would."

Will grabbed his lunchbox and moved it to his right side, making the left side vacant as Hannibal lowered his person and sat next to Will.

"I admire nature quite often." He said, seemingly to no one in particular as he exhaled and looked forward at the yards of green grassy fields between the tree and the school.

"Yeah, that's why I come here, too." Will added.

"No you don't. You come here to seek refuge from the rest of your peers. To seek solace and comfort." Hannibal corrected, as if reading Will's thoughts and actions for the last year of his life at Baltimore State High School.

Will rolled his eyes. "Alright, yes, I do. You're right. But can you really blame me? Most of the students have no need for me among them."

Hannibal continued to stare forward. "Perhaps they do not approve of your choice in undergarments, Will. After all, Fruit of the Loom is only fitting for children."

Will slumped forward with his head in his hands. "Oh God, you heard about that a_lready?!_"

_"Just how fast does information travel around this bloody school, anyway?"_

"Most of the staff members have as well, I am sorry to inform." Hannibal added, making Will want to bash his head against the tree trunk.

"How long do you suppose it will take before I can show my face in the public eye ever again?" Will hissed.

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Will. It's only High School, after all."

"Says the guy who is graduating at the end of the year!" Will retorted, lowering his voice.

"What is the correlation there? Enlighten me." Hannibal asked, finally turning his head to face Will.

Will looked away, fearing a silly blush coming on. "You don't have to really worry about your social standing for very long. You'll be out of here and away from this place soon. I envy that."

"Interesting." Hannibal only uttered back.

"What's interesting?" Will asked. Had he said anything to offend Hannibal?

"Not fond of eye contact, are you?" Hannibal asked gently.

"_Eye contact_ is the worst. I avoid it whenever possible, so now I am better at recognizing people by the shape of their ears or legs than by what their faces look like. Eyes are distracting… you see too much, you don't see enough. And-And it's hard to focus when you're thinking, um, "Oh, those whites are really white", or, "He must have hepatitis", or, "Oh, is that a burst "vein?" So, yeah, I try to avoid eyes whenever possible." He finished, feeling a heavy load off his shoulders.

Most of those thoughts were the burden of Will for a great part of his life, and to have admitted them blatantly for Hannibal Lecter was somewhat unbecoming of Will, yet he still felt a surreal moment of piece and calm having revealed so much about himself...

He paused when he didn't hear a word from Hannibal, or even his breath. He awkwardly made brief contact with Hannibal, but it wasn't long enough to make him feel threatened. But it was long enough for Will to take in and observe a smile grow on Hannibal's face. A smile not of malice, or cruelty, but a smile of understanding.  
>*********************************************************************************<p>

**Just a piece of info: Paul Krendler in this fanfic is Ray Liotta's portrayal of the character in the 2001 Hannibal film starring Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore!**


	4. The First Lesson

**Practical Examinations**

**By Avixi Lynn**

**You know the drill!**

**Chapter 4**

"So Hannibal Lecter agreed to help _you _get an A in English Literature?" Franklyn asked before he chomped on his ham and cheese sandwich Wednesday noon during lunch break.

"Yes, I can hardly believe it myself." Will had agreed to eat lunch with Franklyn, deciding to ignore and push back the rude comments and gestures from other students who were in Jack's social group. At one point, Tobias picked up a blank piece of paper and wrote in red large letters on it : GO FRUITY TOOT TOOT WILL! and displayed it for the entire cafeteria to see, and earned many howls of laughter.

But Will merely ignored it. He was all too proud and pleased that Hannibal had agreed to tutor him and help him pass English Literature. All his troubles were being solved, one by one. If he couldn't physically charm Alana with his feats of strength, then surely she would notice him shining academically.

"I think it's just weird, though." Franklyn said in between bites and chewing, earning Will's attention.

"How do you mean?" He inquired, looking at his open red lunchbox staring back at him; a donut packed neatly to the left of the lunchbox, a grilled cheese sandwich in the center, and his thermos filled to the brim with orange juice sitting to the right of the table.

"He just never has been known to take pity on anyone or help them. I heard he even hates rude people to the point of wishing them death!" Franklyn explained, slurping his apple juice.

Will winced at the horrific sound. "Well I doubt that. But again, who doesn't despise rude people from time-to-time?"

"Yeah...just be careful around Hannibal. He's a mystery wrapped in an enigma is all I mean." Franklyn wiped his mouth with his sleeve, smearing the mayonnaise from his sandwich all over his shirt.

"Say, are you going to eat your lunch by any chance?" He eyed Will's neatly packed meal greedily.

"No, Franklyn. Help yourself." Will pushed his red lunchbox towards Franklyn.

"You're the best, Will."  
>******************************************************************************<p>

Will sighed as his brown shoes crunched on top of a few fallen leaves as he made his way down Langer Street, on a mission to locate Hannibal's house to begin his first session of tutoring. After lunch, Hannibal had embarrassingly walked into Will's art class, and asked the teacher to hand Will a piece of paper with Hannibal's home address and cell phone number neatly written down and even Hannibal's signature signed at the bottom of the page.

Students had laughed and scoffed, calling Will and Hannibal "faggots" for the entire class, making Will squirm in his seat. He thanked the heavens above that Alana hadn't been in his class or anywhere near to witness the entire display.

Will eyed the houses on Langer street up and down, very impressed with the view he was met with. Most of the houses were at least four levels high. Will guessed that doctors, lawyers, engineers, and the most hard-working and well-regarded members of society owned the houses on Langer street. He only wondered what Hannibal's parents did for a living to own such a spot on a street comprised of enormous houses. But he knew asking such a question or bringing it up in any context would be absolutely rude in front of Hannibal. He had no choice but to keep his curiosity to himself.

Will looked back down at the neatly folded piece of paper in his hands. Hannibal's neat handwriting. His house number was one-hundred-eighty-six. Will looked back up at the current house to his left, and it was a brown bricked house with a shiny golden plaque on the center of the garage door and it read one-hundred-twenty. He had a long way to go before he reached Hannibal's house.

Sighing to himself, Will turned on his IPod, and walked ahead, every once in a while checking the house numbers just to be sure he arrived well enough. He didn't want to be rude and take up Hannibal's time.  
>**********************************************************************************************<p>

Within thirteen minutes, Will stumbled upon a dark brown bricked house, three levels high with a black shingled rooftop. The windows of the house had a few curtains pulled down, so little light emanated forth from the house. It was already starting to get a little dark, as fall seasons dictated the early setting of the sun.

Will turned off his IPod as he stared at the cement plaque resting on top of the center of the garage door with black ink displaying one-hundred-eighty-six. He was at the right house, and it was practically the very last house located on Langer street.

Will was almost afraid to step up and climb the marble stoned steps leading up to the front porch towards the front door of the giant house. The front yard was decorated in an elegant display of flowers that Will was more than positive had been flown in from other countries to be planted in the front yard.

Colors of gentle purple and pink were neatly stacked in a bush right beside the steps, and flowerpots with red and marigold flowers planted within them hung from the ceiling of the roof in front of the door, lined neatly along the front porch.

Will raised a shaky hand to press the doorbell to alert Hannibal he was here and ready to be tutored. But just as he had gathered his nerve and was about to ring, the door opened, reflecting the little sunlight that was peeking up over the clouds into Will's eyes.

The mahogany oak of the front door was swung open to the side, revealing Hannibal's pale face before Will's.

"Ah, good evening Will. So nice of you to come by." Hannibal stated dully, as if forgetting their appointment earlier.

Will nodded. "Hannibal."

Hannibal opened the door and stepped back to make room for Will. "I trust you had little to no trouble finding your way to my home?"

Will took off his shoes and placed them neatly on the foot place mat to the left of the door, almost leaning against the wall but not right up against it so as to disturb the cream colored walls.

The floorboards were a dark mahogany color, matching the front door perfectly. Will decided that they had been recently mopped and dusted, for he could practically count each hair strand on his head in the reflection meeting his curious gaze in return.

"Will? Would you like anything to drink? Any refreshments you prefer?" Hannibal asked courteously, watching Will shrug off his black coat and taking it from him gently.

_"What a wonderful host. I have a thing or two to learn..."_

"Oh, some Dr. Pepper would be just fine."

Hannibal tilted his head, wearing a cold expression that clearly displayed that Will was forgetting something very important.

"...Please." Will finished. He mentally face-palmed. He nearly forgot what a stickler Hannibal was for manners and being courteous.

"Coming right up, Will. Please head on to the office while I prepare your drink. It is located on the second floor of the house, second room to the left of the hallway."

Will nodded and headed on upstairs. "_Does he really trust me to search his house, unattended to?_"

He ascended the grand black-banister staircase, the railings decorated with dark green wild-life-like vines curling and twisting handsomely around the railings. The carpeted floor warmed up his socked feet, as he felt each footstep sink into the cream colored carpets which supported the strong steps he was coming to an end to as he neared the second floor.

Windows stood massively pouring in the bright orange sunlight outside. The windows were almost the same height as Will, and curled in a circular motion upwards throughout the right side of the house facing the staircase. Will wondered who decorated the house and how much time it took them to do so. The house was very perfect, in its own ways.

Finally he had reached the first door to the left, and he walked past it, regaining some energy and feeling his stomach rumble as he approached the second door to the left and pulled the thick golden doorknob open.

It was a lightly decorated room: a large flat-screened Macintosh laptop that was at least 46 inches sat on top of a silver colored thin framed desk, the screensaver set to famous paintings and sculptures Will only stared at in awe and admiration. The walls of the office were painted in dark red, making the room appear more dark than it normally would have been at this time of day. Behind the silver desk supporting the laptop, large vertical windows lead the way to a little balcony decorated with a few flowerpots and a single statue of Cupid about to shoot forth an arrow. On the walls were a few paintings Will couldn't recognize, but most had to have been purchased from a famous art gallery, for they were quite marvellously designed and the colours were radiant and mystifying.

A little fireplace stood directly below a large 60 inch flat screen TV mounted highly on the wall to the left side of the desk, the fire obviously turned off and a few black piles of firewood resting in the hearth.

Will shivered, for this room did not have a carpet, but the same mahogany wooden floorboards as the main floor of the house. The ceiling had stylish silver lights implanted and embedded within the ceiling, and the setter and toner of the lights located on the far right side of the room right by the door.

Will barely heard Hannibal's footsteps, but the sound of the door closing was what caused Will to turn back and smile at Hannibal shyly.

In both hands, Hannibal held a golden circular tea tray supporting a wine glass with Dr. Pepper poured half way through the glass, and sitting right next to the glass of Dr. Pepper was another wine glass, though this one was empty. The reflection of the room and Will fell within the glass. And standing tall and majestically next to the empty glass was what appeared to be a very expensive brand of champagne.

Will raised an eyebrow as Hannibal set the tea tray down on the silver desk, careful not to place it anywhere near the expensive flat screen laptop. He lifted a medium sized wine-bottle-opener, and pulled the top off with a small "pop".

He poured the glass barely one quarter through and lifted his own glass and handed Will his.

"Cheers." They clinked glasses and drank; Will's eyes on Hannibal's shirt, and Hannibal's eyes rested on Will.

_"Wait, when did he get the chance to unbutton his shirt? I could have sworn it was completely buttoned when I entered the house..." _Will squinted at Hannibal's unbuttoned top white dress shirt, the first four buttons undone, revealing a pale chest with medium brown chest hair displayed across his chest, stopping at the neckline.

Will felt a little strange, checking out Hannibal's thin chest hair, but hopefully Hannibal wouldn't notice.

"Alright. Let us begin, Will." Hannibal uttered, setting down his champagne glass and walking over to a large oak wooden framed bookcase nearly hitting the ceiling of the room, standing in the far left corner of the room.

"Wait, are you sure you won't become, you know...intoxicated from that?" Will motioned to the champagne glass sitting and fizzing on top of the desk.

Hannibal didn't move; his back towards Will as he selected a thin black book from the middle of the shelf.

He walked towards Will with the book in his hand. "Thank you for your concern, Will, but I am eighteen years of age, now, and I assure you I am responsible young adult, fully capable of holding his own alcoholic beverage levels nicely in check."

"Oh." Was all Will could muster as a response. Hannibal sure had his way of "sweet-talking".

Hannibal sat on a cool black leather couch resting against the wall across the silver desk. He patted the seat next to him, book on his lap. "Sit, please."  
>****************************************************************************************************<p>

"I never knew how much I despised "Wuthering Heights" until this very moment." Will slammed his notebook shut, his hand already cramped from all the quick, spacious note jotting he had to do while Hannibal read from the book he selected and lectured Will on the comparisons between the characters of the novel, and assigned him a mini-homework essay to write until their next meeting.

"Surely Emily Bronte would not approve of that comment, Will." Hannibal lightly joked as he walked back to the bookshelf and put the book back in its proper place. He walked back to the leather couch and collected the empty wine glasses and placed them back on the tray.

"Are you always this neat and organized?" Will asked, putting his books in his briefcase.

"Of course. Makes my academic success so much easier, Will. I recommend it some time for you."

Will was more than positive that had been a marred critical comment aimed at him, but he shrugged lightly and checked the time on a large Roman Numeral black and white clock mounted on the wall across the flat screen TV.

"Oh crap, it's already ten to nine o'clock!" He hurried towards the door of the room.

"If you care for a lift, I'd be more than honored to drive you home, Will." Hannibal stated as he followed Will's path to the door calmly, footsteps barely heard upon the floorboards of the room. Was he a ghost of some sorts?

Will paused as he opened the door part-way. "Oh, I don't want to be more of a nuisance than I already have been, Hannibal. But thank you for offering."

Hannibal shook his head in disagreement. "No, Will. I am offering this out of sheer concern for your safety. Although this is a well-to-do area, I cannot guarantee your complete safe arrival home should you walk all alone."

"I can bus back, then."

"There are no more late night buses on this street, and it will take approximately another half hour to reach the terminal." Hannibal corrected, finally buttoning the undone buttons of his shirt. Will watched as Hannibal's spidery fingers danced upwards and took away his chest from Will's view.

_"Drats."_ Will thought.

"Move along then, please." Hannibal said softly, moving past Will and gathering his car keys from the little table outside the room in the hallway.

Will was left without a choice.  
>***************************************************************************************************<p>

"Right here is fine, thanks." Will stated, pointing out the window of Hannibal's grey BMW as he turned right to face Will's street.

"I understand, Will, but which house is yours?"

Will did not want Hannibal looking at his house or even coming near the door. Will owned five stray dogs, most of them he found whenever he was jogging late at night. They all mostly followed him home and took a shine to him; with the exception of the latest addition to the family, a golden brown dog Will named Winston.

Will had found Winston when he was driving home late from work one night, and it took him quite some time to coax the frightened, shabby dog towards him. When he finally succeeded, he took the dog home and gave him a warm, welcoming bath and hoped he would soon become well-adjusted to the rest of the family.

Winston was a very loyal, good dog so far, but he was still rather jumpy whenever a new person was around. Though he enjoyed keeping Will company most hours of the day whenever Will was home.

However, Will knew Hannibal was a tidy, neat freak, and he knew the young man owned no pets of his own. He was pretty sure Hannibal would recoil in disgust should five slobbering, excited dogs come lumbering towards him in a friendly greeting, engaging him in a lovely crotch-sniffing contest.

"Will?" Hannibal interrupted Will's thoughts.

"It's fine, I can walk. I need the exercise! That Dr. Pepper really did it in for me."

Hannibal stared at Will blankly. "As you wish."

Will's little bungalow home was only twenty feet away, so Hannibal wouldn't have to worry about him arriving home safely.

"Well, thanks again. For the tutoring, and the drinks, and giving me this opportunity." Will did not want to be rude.

Hannibal smiled lightly. "My pleasure, Will. Have a good night."

"Oh I will. And thanks for the ride too."

Hannibal didn't respond.

Will pushed against the car door handle with more strength than he had originally planned, and it resulted in him smashing his shoulder and elbow against the window and handle.

_"Son of a bit-"_

"You'll have to allow me to unlock the door first, Will. Then you can push on the handle all you like." Hannibal whispered, pressing the "unlock button" and a "snap" sounded in the car.

"Oh, hahaha, yeah, sorry about that." Will pressed the handle gently, and the car door opened slowly.

He stepped out on one foot.

"S-s-so umm, when do we m-meet next, again?" He inquired before he set his other leg out of the car.

Hannibal merely stared, his dark eyes shining in the light of the car and in contrast to the odd outdoor lights on Will's street.

"You have my cell phone number, Will. How about you call me whenever you feel you have finished your essay and wish for me to take a glance at it?"

"Sounds good, thank you again." With that, Will swung his other leg out of the car, and he heard a few of his dogs already barking. Out of fear from the sudden barking, Will stumbled and tripped out of the car and away from it, but as he tried to catch his balance and sway about on his feet, he felt his head going dizzy and his glasses began sliding off his nose. He was losing his vision and balance. What a great night. And to top it all off, like icing on the cake, he was about to smash his skull open in the middle of the dark street in front of Hannibal Lecter. Great.

Right before his head was about to make impact with the cemented pavement, a strong hand yanked him right up back on his feet. Another non-shaking hand confidently re-adjusted his glasses on his face, while the other hand held a tight, vice-like grip on his coat front.

Will squinted to see Hannibal Lecter before him. Hannibal had unbuckled his seat belt and dove straight for Will through the passenger side of the car where Will was sitting, right in the nick of time before he had fallen over onto the road.

Will's jaw dropped. "How did you possib-"

"Try to be more careful, Will. I'd hate for my young student to harm himself and have to take a few weeks off. You don't want to fall behind on your studies, do you?" He inquired, taking his hand away from Will's face, the slightly cold skin grazing down Will's dark brown stubble face slowly.

Will only gaped at Hannibal like a fish.

"Good night, dear Will. I trust you can walk up the driveway of your house safely and not be run over by your dogs." With that last statement, Hannibal closed the passenger door, walked back to the driver side of his car, started the engine, and drove off without another word.

_"...He touched my face. He touched my face. I can't believe he touched my face..."_ Will walked back to his house, zombie-like, in a trance.

He fumbled in his pockets for his house keys and finally found them, slowly unlocking the front door. He heard the paws of his dogs clicking and padding along the titled floors of his house, their whines and whimpers greeting his ears. He was so happy to be home and see them.

So happy to finally-

_"How the hell did Hannibal know I owned dogs!?"  
><em>******************************************************************************

**Things be getting pretty hot, I'd say! Hope you enjoyed, and happy writing to other authors out there!  
>Cheers.<strong>


	5. Dining With Hannibal

**Practical Examinations**

**By Avixi Lynn**

**Chapter 5**

One ring. Two rings. Three rings. _"Come on...pick up, Hannibal. I'm begging you."_

Four rings. "Hello Will."

"Uh...how did you know it was me who called?"

A sigh over the other end of the line. "I have caller display, Will."

"Oh..."

"Indeed. How may I be of service?"

Will immediately blushed. Hannibal's sense of chivalry was absolutely charming. "Well I was hoping we could arrange a time to meet so you can take a look at my essay. I finished it late last night, and you instructed me to call you and let you know when I needed your help again..."

"Correct, I did. I'm afraid I cannot drive to pick you up, however. My car is having current issues, Will."

Will's heart started racing. "That's no problem, Hannibal. I can come pick you up."

"Fair enough, I will be ready to meet you to come to your home soon, then."

"Wait _my house?!"_ Will asked nervously. He didn't want Hannibal seeing his home, his dogs and thinking less of him.

"If it makes you terribly uncomfortable, then we can go to a restaurant too, seeing as how it is nearly four in the afternoon, now. I am terribly hungry, Will."

Will only gulped. "O-ok, sounds good, Hannibal."

"See you shortly, Will."

"You g-got it."

Will's hands shook as he opened the car door for Hannibal and closed it behind him, pulling his own car door open and sitting down next to Hannibal in the dark grey mini-van his adoptive mother purchased him.

He hoped his car was not shameful to Hannibal, who drove a fancy, expensive BMW. Not that it mattered at this point; it was already too late to change vehicles.

Hannibal put on his seatbelt and extended a long hand to Will, who jumped and stared at Hannibal in shock.

"Hannibal?" He questioned, a bit frightened by the random gesture.

"Your essay please, Will. I'd like to get a head start reading it so by the time we arrive at the restaurant I can tell you what I think."

"Of course." Will dug into his bag and pulled out the essay in typed paper format. He knew how organized Hannibal was, so after writing out by hand his first draft, he typed the essay up and ran a spell-check a few times just to make sure it was as close to perfection as it could possibly be.

He handed the essay to Hannibal and started driving towards the four-star restaurant Hannibal had reserved for their evening meal.  
>******************************************************************************<p>

Will felt absolutely out of place and mortified when they were lead by the waiter to their table. Hannibal had certainly outdone himself. He had reserved the most suitable seat in the entire restaurant. Right behind their seating arrangement was a beautiful indoor waterfall and pool, filled with beautiful colorful fish which resembled every color of the rainbow. Their scales were shining out of the water and glimmered all over their seating area.

The tables and chairs of their area was specifically set for two; it seemed like a romantic seating arrangement to Will's mind. The booth was circular, and quite separate from the rest of the patrons in the restaurant. And in front of it was a small bar with drinks specifically ordered for them by Hannibal.

"Please be seated, gentlemen, and I will leave you with the menus and all the time you like to begin ordering." The waiter was an elderly gentleman with a short white goatee and silver hair who had a thick British accent.

He left Will and Hannibal with their menus and walked off briskly.

Will peered through the menu and nearly felt himself begin to faint. Not only were the food items written in languages he could barely begin to pronounce, but their prices were sky-high.

"Umm, Hannibal? What are you ordering?" Will inquired as casually as he could. He did not want Hannibal to know he had no idea what half of these food items were.

"I'm having the Fegatelli di maiale, which is pig's liver forcemeat stuffed into pig's stomach and baked in a slow oven with stock and red wine. Absolutely delicious, Will." Hannibal's tongue rolled around the perfect Italian pronunciation, making Will feel dizzy. His body was reacting strangely-in a good strange way-to Hannibal's accent the more the older boy spoke.

Will was unsure of what type of accent Hannibal possessed, but he guessed as best he could that it was of European background.

"And what will you have, Will?" Hannibal asked, waiting for Will's disgruntled, disgusted expression to disappear. Clearly he was not as big of a carnivore as Hannibal was...

Will looked down at the menu and decided to try another option. Instead of embarrassing himself in front of Hannibal with ridiculous attempts at poorly pronounced Italian, he would get Hannibal to do the work and only name the prices he could afford to pay.

"I can only afford any meal up to one hundred and thirty dollars, Hannibal. Most of the vegetable soups are that price."

Hannibal smiled. "Funny how you assume I am not going to get in the way of you wanting to pay for your own meal."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes it is, Will. Anyway I highly recommend the Pasta e fagioli - a soup of pasta and beans. It is not too heavy, and it is quite delectable."

"Great, I'll have that." Will agreed, closing the menu and trying to keep his heart beat to a steady rhythm as he listened carefully to Hannibal's perfect Italian pronunciation.

When the waiter came back, they both gave him their orders fully, and Will had no difficulty whatsoever in ordering his dish.

"Will, this essay is absolutely atrocious, I'm afraid." Hannibal stated as he leafed through Will's typed response essay slowly.

Will felt like he was going to swallow his spoon along with his soup. That was the most gut-wrenching comment Hannibal could ever make regarding his work. Will thought and was absolutely certain he had done the best possible job. He had designed two drafts of the essay and proof-read it many times...

"You said you worked at this until wee hours in the night, yes?" Hannibal asked, wiping his thin, red lips with a blood red napkin.

"Uh yes, that's correct." Will said, tearing his eyes off Hannibal's lips.

"Cease in doing that ever again. The human mind is like a sponge, Will. How can it retain more water and knowledge when it is already full? Sleep does the mind and body many forms of justice. So while you may believe you are passionately working hard and extending much effort on your work by completing it at late hours in the night or morning, you are actually doing yourself more harm than good." He explained lazily, swirling the wine in his glass and raising it to his nose, taking a deep breath to inhale, nostrils flaring. Hannibal closed his eyes in sheer enjoyment.

Will was absolutely mesmerized and only nodded in response.

Hannibal sipped the wine, and set the glass down slowly. "You have wonderful ideas, Will, but you do not carry them to their purest form of birth, that's all."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, leaning back in his chair; trying to appear as coolly collected as Hannibal.

Hannibal crossed his lean, long thighs delicately. "You obviously, clearly understand the characters to their full extent. However, I believe writing is like a craft or an art. You need to think of the page as your blank canvas, awaiting for your artistic paintbrush to touch the surface, and give it life. You can do that by illustrating your thoughts and feelings. Add life to them; color. You can develop the language and your vocabulary in the most wondrous ways."

"How can I begin?" Will asked, pondering many things all at once.

"Start by reading the dictionary. You can draw a lot of ideas to color your language from there. I believe it will be beneficial to you."

Will smiled at Hannibal. "Thank you, Hannibal. I definitely will start as you instructed."

Hannibal gave a little nod, but no smile was returned. "Very good, Will. Now, let me pay for this bill." He completed, watching the waiter and signalling for him to bring them the bill.

**Shorter chapter this time because...well...I am not sure! Hope you guys enjoyed and look forward to more updates later in the next few days.**

**Cheers.**


	6. Mishaps and Slip-ups

**Practical Examinations**

**By Avixi Lynn**

**Chapter 6**

While the last of the summer weather still hung about, Mr. Krendler decided it would be a great idea to take his all boy's gym class outdoors for a game of football.

As suspected, Jack and Tobias were already on each other's team. Jack was a burly built boy, and he had the strength of at least three other boys. Tobias could run like the wind, so any opposing side was pretty much a goner if playing against those two.

Naturally, Will was a member of the opposing team. Franklyn was goalie today, and he stared at everyone meekly through the heavy goalie mask, jittering about the field back and forth. One other student Will wasn't really on friendly terms with, but got along with well enough, Matthew Brown, an eleventh grade student who was rather tall, built with decent amounts of muscle, and short dark brown hair with scary blue green eyes. Matthew was on Will's team and often passed the ball to him. The kid had good aim, but he often threw too hard and too far for Will to catch.

Football was Will's least favourite sport. He had a feeling deep down in his gut, that today, something would go terribly wrong... 

"HUDDLE! COME ON!" Mr. Krendler blew his whistle, and Matthew and Jack and the rest of their team all got down on their hind legs and faced each other.

As fast as lightning, Jack threw the ball under and behind his own strong muscled legs, and Tobias caught it, looking around the green field for a team member to throw it to as the rest of the boys all smashed into each other, dog-piling upon each other for the ball.

Tobias passed the ball to another teammate quickly, as Will headed straight for him. Will gave up hope on trailing the ball, and instead turned to face two other teammates. Brian Zeller and Jimmy Price, who were two druggie students, lazed about the field, their carefree attitude almost contagious.

Zeller and Price were hardly ever seen apart. They hung around afterschool, mostly getting high or talking about getting high majority of the time. They hardly went to their scheduled classes, and at this point in time were likely getting high. Will was surprised as to why they had not been expelled by now. Perhaps the staff had a sick, twisted sense of amusement and relished in observing the drug addicted theatrics the boys displayed now and then.

Will smelled the brutish smoke of marijuana hitting his nostrils, and he walked away as Mr. Krendler stood at the sidelines, busy texting on his phone.

Will walked until he spotted Zeller and Price huddled together under the bleachers of the football field. They were lighting up a white blunt, Zeller shoving Price away as he fought to inhale first. Jimmy Price was the "leader" in their awkward partnership as Jack was leader in regards to his relationship with Tobias. Jimmy Price was a year and half older than Brian Zeller, and he often pushed and mocked the younger boy for his own amusement. However, Zeller did not seem to mind it though.

He certainly was minding now getting a shared turn at this moment.  
>Zeller frowned and ran a hand through his dark hair as he greedily watched Price inhale.<p>

"Ok, my turn, bitch!" He hissed, hand outstretched almost desperately for the joint.

"One minute! Christ!"

"Krendler's gonna see if you don't hurry!" Zeller cried, grasping the joint after some struggles.

"Hey...what are you guys doing?" Will interrupted, scaring Zeller and Price so that they jumped and bumped their heads against the underside of the top of the steps of the bleachers.

"Holy shit! Graham! Don't do that to us!" Price said, holding a hand over his heart.

"You guys are going to get suspended again." Will sighed, watching Zeller take a third inhale.

Price shrugged. "That's the school's problem. They can only suspend us so much, and guess what that does?"

"What?" Will asked, crossing his arms tiredly.

"Make us stay home and get more high and wasted!" The pot-heads high-fived each other and cheered amongst themselves as Will looked on, shaking his head in shame.

"Yo, Zeller, I gotta go take a leak, ok? Hold this and don't smoke the whole motherfucker, 'kay?" Price shoved the joint into Zeller's hand, and ran off towards the end of the field in the direction of the school.

Zeller looked at the joint, then at Will, then back at the joint in his hand, up at the bleachers, at Will, and then back at the joint, as if deciding something very important along the lines of life and death. "You want a hit?" He asked, offering the joint to Will.

"Oh that's ok. I actually would like to get into college some day. But thanks for thinking of me." Will replied sarcastically, taking a step back away from Zeller and the joint.

"Fuck college, man. Most of those assholes end up working in fast-food places anyway. Life's too short, gotta stop workin' so hard all the time."

"If you say so." Will sighed. He wanted to get back to the team; but they appeared to be doing well without his help.

"ZELLER!" A booming voice suddenly broke the sound barrier.

"AIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" Brian Zeller leapt a few feet into the air, smashed his head against the steps once more, as he screamed a high-pitch ten-year-old girl scream. He raised both of his hands (even the one holding the joint) up as if being held at gun-point by the police.

Mr. Krendler angrily walked over to Will and Brian.

"It's not mine, I swear!" Zeller cried, eye pupils dilated as wide as saucers anyway to prove that he was perfectly high.

"I don't give a cow's left ball whose it is! Go to the principal's office, NOW!" Mr. Krendler barked the order savagely, eyes practically on fire.

Brian whimpered in protest, but Mr. Krendler held up a hand to silence him, and grabbed the burning joint from him and pointed to the school. "Move it. Now."

Without another protest, Brian Zeller walked away.

"Ummm Mr. Krendler?" Will asked in a soft mousey tone.

"What is it, Will?" Mr. Krendler sighed, eyes still glaring at the disappearing back of Zeller as he kept walking off into the distance.

"Cows don't have balls...bulls do..." Will pointed out logically.

"Get your smart ass back on that field, boy, and if I hear one more silly comment out of you, you'll be joining Zeller, got it?" Mr. Krendler threatened, pointing the joint at Will as if it were a weapon.

"Yes sir."  
>******************************************************************************<p>

Regrettably back on the field, Will did his utmost best to remain open to his teammates. But even Matthew stopped passing the ball to him. He was just a lost cause in the eyes of everyone.

Jack's team was winning, anyway, as usually expected, so Will decided he'd let him have his moment of limelight and success.

As Will was running back down the far left side of the field, to catch his breath and take a small break, he once more felt entirely out of breath as he looked towards the school.

The girls' cheerleading team was on their way to the football field to practice their routines. The girls were kept in separate gym classes from the boys, but today the gods seemed to be in Will's favour.

Alana Bloom was one of the said cheerleaders. She smiled her pearly white straight perfect teeth as she laughed and joked with her best friend Bella, an African American girl who was the on- and- off girlfriend of Jack Crawford.

The girls finally reached the field, and began forming a pyramid, with Alana on top. She stood tall with her arms stretched high towards the sky, and leapt up and did a flip before she landed in the arms of Bella and another cheerleader. They all whooped and cheered her as they helped her down onto the green field and she cart -wheeled around as the rest of the girls chanted and clapped.

Their outfits made Will want to swoon. They all wore matching super tight navy blue skirts with shorts under (sadly, in the opinion of all the boys who tried looking up their skirts), white running shoes, and bright red tops that revealed their arms and bellies.

Will watched Alana do some stretches, and as he peeked over at her perfectly shaped pear-bottom, Alana suddenly straightened up and turned to meet Will's inquisitive glance.

Will froze to the spot, but slowly gave Alana a smile as he removed his football helmet, unwittingly.

Alana's dark blue eyes met Will's for the longest time. It seemed as if the Earth had literally stopped spinning. Will closed his eyes, soaking up Alana's image slowly, as if she were the world's most precious and desired statue. He suddenly imagined himself in a dark room, lit with orange and red candles, and a half naked Alana Bloom, resting before him on a bright red couch.

She had on her body a matching red satin shall that covered her most private areas. Will could only see the swell of her breasts and her slightly rounded belly. It was the most sensual thing he could ever want to see. She was like the Birth of Venus...no, she was greater, much greater!

Alana's perfect skin was probably very smooth to touch and delicate to taste...he walked up to her in the middle of the room and ran a hand through her wavy dark brown hair, and ran his hand over the clear skin of her face, pressing gently on the random array of freckles on her nose and cheeks.

Alana looked up at him, and she whispered something very quietly. Will did not want to miss it. He leaned forward and rested her head against her forehead. "What did you say, Alana?"

She sighed, and a cold, frosty sensation hit him. "I said, watch out." She stated quietly.

Will opened his eyes when he felt as if a train had plowed right into him. Jack Crawford had run head first with his helmet into Will's chest, knocking the smaller boy all the way back across the field. Due to a little bit of rain from the early morning before their class, there was still a lot of mud on the ground. Will fell and slid back into the mud, the force of Jack ramming into him sending him rolling and tumbling right into the hard metal pole of the goalie nets.

A loud "OOOOOOOO!" From the boys in his class and a few screams from the girls on the cheerleading team were there last things he heard.

Mr. Krendler ran towards Will, his cell phone still in his hand. "Franklyn! Quick! Call the school nurse! NOW! Don't just stand there, boy! Get that fat ass of yours moving! This is an emergency!"

"Y-yes sir! Oh my God, Will, please stay awake!" Franklyn looked back and forth between running towards the school and at Will, who was blinking and fighting to keep awake for as long as possible. He was scared he would get a concussion, and if he blacked out, that would be the end of him, surely.

As if the world was being conducted in slow-motion, Will saw Alana race towards him, her dark hair fluttering like a large moth in the wind super slowly. She grabbed Will's hands in her own and kneeled next to him in the mud.

Will looked up at her, displaying a love-sick, dizzy smile on his face before moving his head forward, eyeing the entire field before him, and the offices of the school which were across the field. Perhaps it was the impact of Jack burrowing into him, or perhaps it was a concussion already starting, but the last thing that Will remembered seeing was a dark face peering at him through a window in an office across the field before his eyelids grew heavy and finally closed.

**Oh noes! Poor Will :( Let's hope he's ok!**

**Also, fun fact: What happened with Brian Zeller and Jimmy Price is actually based off a real life incident of when I was in high school and a few pot-head students were caught by a teacher smoking weed under some bleachers! Haha, truly, I was inspired.**

**Cheers!**


	7. Snake Venom

**Chapter 7**

"Attention all students enrolled at Baltimore State High School. This is a strong reminder that there are to be no drugs used by students, sold by students to students, for any purpose-be it recreational or otherwise on school property. Any student caught with drugs from now on will face a penalty of one week suspension from school, and after a first warning the second time a student is caught with drugs on their person, belongings, or school locker on school grounds, they risk expulsion from Baltimore State High School. Remember, this is your future and a bad record in dealing and doing drugs will not be easily wiped off and replaced with a clean slate handed over to you. Do not risk your reputation and future career opportunities. That is all, have a good rest of the day." The microphone of the P.A. system at Baltimore State High clicked off as the Principal, Mrs. Kade Prurnell, a woman in her mid fifties with short cut blonde hair parted to the left, usually dressed in black high heels that clicked forever and ever down the hallways and often dark grey or purple tight suits to show off her slim figure- despite her -age announced before the whole school.

Will opened his eyes, and was met with the nosy face of none other than Freddy Lounds. He was in the health station waiting area, currently lying down on a soft cushioned medium sized hospital bed painted sea foam green. It made him even more sick and dizzy, and Freddy poking around certainly didn't help.

Even though Will's vision was still terribly unfocused and blurry, he managed to pick out the horrendously pathetic excuse of a hat Freddy was wearing. It was a white and black feathered hat, but it stood up quite tall, and it resembled the hair of Marge Simpson very much in height and model. The feathers ruffled about in the air, and it looked as if someone had shot a swan and placed it directly on top of her head. She wore elbow high black leather hand gloves, with a dark beaded necklace, each bead roughly the size of a tennis ball. She had on a frightening black top with the strange design that appeared as if the shirt had been torn apart by wolves, as each strand of the shirt hung about in a different angle, length, and in a separate fashion from the one next to it. The only thing normal about Freddy's outfit was a tight red leather skirt she wore quite highly, revealing her pale short legs and odd black and white striped flats for shoes.

"Freddy...what...what happ-" Will felt as if he was about to vomit, so he ceased talking.

"Well at least you're alive. Hopefully you'll be up and talking soon. I came here because I totally am going to be running up for school president and I am competing in the top spots this week. I have to prepare a school article of my own choosing, and I wanted to use you as my interview subject, Will. I am going to write about the school's health and safety act and policies that are currently outdated and obsolete. There IS a need for change, and I am the one who has to report it for our student body to be made aware of. They all need my help, Will, even _you_ need my help. I promise you once you get better we are going to start working on the interview."

Will decided that Freddy had definitely lost it. She wasn't making any sense, and he was the one who had been pummelled by a truck called Jack Crawford; not Freddy Lounds.

The door to the nurse's office swung open, and Beverly Katz, ex-friend of Alana Bloom, walked out in a white lab coat.

"Freddy, get out of here and stop pestering Will. You make everyone nervous." She glared, her beautiful black eyes appearing like black charcoal, about to set ablaze at any given moment and wreak all havoc.

"Oh, the protective mother hen appears at last. Well I won't be letting you copy _my_ report, Beverly. Don't even think about it." Freddy grabbed her pink Hello Kitty Bag, and walked out of the health station before Beverly could retort back.

Beverly sighed and looked at Will on the hospital bed. "Let's get you inside, Will."

"Ugh, get that light out of my face!" Will groaned, lifting a hand and shoving away the little laser light Beverly shined in his eyes.

"Why are _you_ here? Just because the nurse is on vacation and just because you have "good" grades, doesn't mean you get the automatic ok to check on students!" Will hissed at Beverly as she placed a white gloved hand on his head, checking for bumps and any further signs of damage.

Will growled and pulled his head out of her grasp. "Don't touch me." He warned lightly, but strictly.

"That won't do, Will. I need to check your eyes to determine whether or not you suffered a concussion, hemorrhage, or any internal damage."

"If I had any of th-those, I wouldn't be able to form a coherent sentence." Will spoke softly. Suddenly his own voice seemed so booming and loud.

"Not entirely true. Most people can take up to 48 hours or longer in some odd cases before they have a concussion and black-out. I need to take a good look at you _now._"

"I don't need your h-help." Will got up and sat on the mattress in the office. The room was spinning, but less than when Freddy was around. No accounting for taste.

"Fine. Don't say I didn't try to help, though."

Will snorted. "Help? What, help me like you helped Alana? That's a laugh. You just use people, Beverly. Don't think I don't know."

Beverly only offered a half-smile. "Is that what you r_eally_ believe, Will Graham?"

Will squinted. "Everyone knows about it."

Beverly shrugged. "At one point everyone knew the Earth was flat. But they _thought _it was the clear truth. Didn't mean it was true, though, right? There is a difference between hearing something and believing it entirely."

"No, Alana said-"

"You are willing to listen to a_nything and everything_ she tells you, then? Watch out around Alana, Will. She is like a rare, beautiful, exotic snake. But she is still a snake, nonetheless. She will shine and slither about the place, letting you admire her skin from a distance, but get too close, and she will slither up your body, wrap herself around your neck, and you will think she is your pet and wants you to be with her, but that's when she tightens her grip around your neck, chokes you, and bites you to pieces. She's more venomous than she appears. Seeing is not always believing."

Will laughed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "And what am I supposed to see in _you_, then?"

Beverley didn't answer. She merely turned her back and put away Will's medical file in a filing cabinet a few feet away from the desk in the right corner of the room.

"Glad you are better, Will. Take greater care of yourself next time."

Will shook his head in disbelief, but regretted it as soon as he felt as if his head were a rattle that a giant's baby was shaking back and forth for its own amusement. He slowly walked to the door, and showed himself out of the nurse's office.

Once Will was outside back in the main forum of the school, he gazed across the office doors, and smiled in surprise when he saw Alana Bloom calmly approach him. She looked at his head, and then back at his eyes, as if fearful his head would explode at any given moment.

"Will, are you ok?" She asked in a shaky voice.

Will was so flattered by her concern. "I'm fine, Alana, honest. I just got out of the nurse's office now, and there is no cause for great concern. I promise. But thank you so much." He forced a small smile; his head still pounding.

"That big oaf Jack! I don't know what goes through his mind sometimes!" She said, her eyes a little red. Will wondered if she had been crying over him...

"Yeah I often ponder that as well, but I'd hate to bring myself down to his level. Besides, it cannot contain anything beyond basic animal instincts, right?" He joked.

Alana laughed a sweet, feminine laugh that made Will want to hold her tightly and never let her go. It was the sweetest, most tender laugh and smile he had ever seen on a woman, and he longed to see it over and over until the day he died.

"Well, I just wanted to check on you, but it seems like we all underestimated how durable you are." She blushed a little, her thick eyelashes batting.

"I'm more than merely durable..." Will lightly flirted.

"Oh really? Well, perhaps I'm curious about you, Will Graham. Perhaps I would like to see for my own eyes how much more there is to you..." She stated seductively.

Will felt as if he was going to sprout wings and fly out of the roof of the school at that very moment. Alana Bloom was curious about him! Maybe he was hallucinating or having a concussion now.

"I'd like that, very much." He answered, a large genuine smile growing this time, and without pain.

Alana giggled. "Well, I better go. I have Math in another ten minutes. I am so glad you are in one piece, Will. And I apologize for what Jack did. That was beyond wrong."

Will shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Alana. I don't mind."

"No you should! No one deserves that!"

"Maybe I can hire you as my personal body guard then?" He laughed.

"Oh it _is _a most definitely attractive body. I'd be more than proud to keep my eyes on you at all times of the day." She winked and ran off before Will could say anything else.

When she was clear out of sight, Will let out of relieved breath. "Jesus Christ."

Will walked back to his locker, his headache completely gone and his heart soaring on cloud nine. He felt as if he could take a billion beatings from Jack Crawford and Tobias Budge, and not even care or become affected by it. Alana Bloom was his only source of joy and emotional elation. To heck with everyone else, he decided.

At his locker, Will did not even stumble with his lock once, and for the first time in a year and over, he opened the lock on a single try.

"Yes!" He cheered himself cheekily. But he didn't care. Alana freakin' Bloom liked him. She did!

"My my, I'm certainly impressed, Will Graham." A tender voice suddenly broke him out of his heavenly state, and Will whipped around in self-defense mode.

Behind him stood the school psychologist, and part-time guidance councillor, Dr. _Frederick Chilton._

_Will felt all his luck run out immediately. Dr. Chilton was a short man, of average height, and a non-muscle build. He had a slightly annoying voice, and many students wondered if he was a homosexual at times because of the way he spoke and behaved around other male staff members. _

_Will personally didn't care, and tried avoiding Dr. Chilton as often as possible, for the man was known to deviate from truly helping students and only asked them private questions about their home life, and then send out and make false promises about confidential information keeping, but in the end he would call their families in for a conference and embarrass the shit out of the students even more. _

_Revealing personal information to Dr. Chilton was never a wise idea. Will quickly gathered his books for Biology, but Dr. Chilton walked up to his locker boldly and leaned against the neighboring one. _

_"Those were some mighty fine sportsmanship skills you displayed out there on the field, Will. I never knew you for the athletic type...or should I say, indestructible type?" He said calmly, looking at his nails._

_Will snorted. "What do you mean, you weren't out there...I never saw you."_

_"But I assure you, I saw __you__. You should know very well Will, that my office is located perfectly across from the football field. Jack Crawford and you have issues, and you need to sort them out immediately. I am just the man who can help with that, too. Why don't we start while we're ahead. Follow me, Will. Let's sit for a chat in my office." Dr. Chilton flashed Will a cruel smile, and held out a hand in the direction of the left side of the hall, paving the way for Will._

_"Just. My. Luck."_

**Isn't Dr. Chilton a pure grade bastard at times? I wonder what he has in store for Will!**


	8. Danger Lurks in Steady Waters

**Chapter 8**

A little wooden desk clock on Dr. Chilton's office desk ticked loudly, as Will sat on the blue chair right in front of the desk, and Dr. Chilton sat behind the desk, his laptop closed neatly to his right side on the edge of the desk, a brewing hot cup of coffee right in front of him, with his hands folded neatly in his lap as he sat leaning back in his leather grey chair, staring intently at Will as if the kid were some kind of rare breed of wild animal he had just discovered.

"Would you like something to drink, Will?" Dr. Chilton asked, looking into Will's eyes, as if searching for the right answer to that question.

"Mmm no. Lunch is going to begin soon, but thank you." Will responded, eyes set on the annoying wooden clock.

"How very punctual. So I am observing that you haven't lost a track and space for time, Will. That definitely proves you have no signs of brain damage-though I'm no surgeon myself, but I did earn a medical degree from the University of Phoenix, though that was so very long ago, haha. Not that I'm bragging." Dr. Chilton never seemed to shut up either, and though he did possess a doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Phoenix, that didn't deter most students at the school from spreading the rumor that Dr. Chilton was nothing more than a flake; a pretentious man who enjoyed being called "Doctor" for the name-sake of it.

Will only raised his eyebrows and continued staring at the clock, watching the little hand drop lower and lower as time passed.

"However, I stand by what I said earlier when we were out in the hall by your locker. Have you and Jack Crawford always had areas of differences?"

Will laughed to himself. He admired how well Dr. Chilton chose to frame his words and sentences; probably a means of not getting himself into trouble if it ever came to it.

"No, not always, but name me one student who has never had another 'area of difference' issue with another student, Dr. Chilton. After all, it is high school. Most of us are entering mid puberty. Lots of crazy, unstable hormones going about the place, correct?"

Dr. Chilton's eyes turned dark. Clearly Will had corrected him, and if there was anything Dr. Chilton despised most in the world, it was being corrected by anyone else; especially a student.

"Stick to my question please, Mr. Graham."

_"Oh so it's back to Mr. Graham, now?"_ Will clearly hit a nerve.

"Why do you assume I am deflecting, Dr. Chilton? I'm merely answering your question as a matter of fact..."

Dr. Chilton began turning red. Will had strayed way too far.

"I'm calling in your mother for a meeting with Jack Crawford and his own mother as well. I believe it would be most beneficial and therapeutic for all of you to sit down and discuss things, don't you agree, Will?"

This time, Will made eye contact with Dr. Chilton, raising his eyes to peer at the school psychologist from above his black rimmed glasses in a threatening fashion.

"I believe that won't be necessary, Dr. Chilton." He whispered lowly.

Dr. Chilton grabbed his coffee, smirking proudly to himself, and leaned back in his chair, pulling out a notebook from inside his desk and writing something; possibly regarding a meeting date for Will and Jack Crawford's family.

Will closed his eyes in defeat. When was anyone going to give him a break?

"Dr. Chilton, please. If it will make any difference, I'd rather do in school suspensions...anything..."

Dr. Chilton stopped, midway writing something and shook his head. "Don't try and play the saviour Saint, Will. It won't do you any good. I need to know whether or not the school's student safety policy is having any effect at all, or if misplaced aggression is behind all this...perhaps you would like to discuss your home-life with me?"

Will ground his teeth and clenched his fists together tightly out of the sight of Dr. Chilton. He hated whenever someone would bring up his personal home-life. What was it to them? Especially Dr. Chilton?

Dr. Chilton sipped his coffee and licked his lips. "Well perhaps that can be touched upon in depth when we bring all of you together for my scheduled meeting. But tell me, Will, how are you finding the school in regards to your personal security and safety? Any suggestions for the school's policy to be more, shall we say, strict?"

"Don't worry, Freddy Lounds is on that one, I'm pretty sure she'll make the changes to save us all." Will murmured sarcastically, fists turning white as he remained seated tightly to the spot, clenching them.

"I beg your pardon, Will?" Dr. Chilton asked, one eyebrow raised as he stopped his pen from writing once more.

"Never mind. It was nothing." Will replied. He wanted to get the hell out of Dr. Chilton' office and just head on to class. Even Biology homework for a year sounded much better than a meeting with his family with Dr. Chilton.

"Well, I have your home-information and number on record, so your mother will be hearing from me shortly, and we can go from there to decide a day and time to meet with Jack and his mother." Dr. Chilton set his notebook and pen on his lap, and Will struggled to get the smallest glance at what he wrote without seeming too obvious. Surely it was nothing good, anyway.

Will sighed. "There really is no need for this, Dr. Chilton. Don't get me wrong, I _do_ appreciate your help and concern, but this is on Jack and I to solve our problems." Maybe begging would be the way to get out of this...

Dr. Chilton only laughed. "I don't think I agree, Will."

"Oh come on, it was a little accident during gym! That tends to happen from time to time!" Will cried a little louder.

"I hardly classify Jack Crawford hurtling into you at such a great speed and sending you headfirst into the football goal posts 'a little accident' Will." Dr. Chilton rolled his eyes, looking bored. It seemed as if his mind was already made up.

"There was a lot of mud out there on that field, Dr. Chilton. Perhaps he lost his footing too." Will glared at Dr. Chilton, hoping he would hammer some point home.

Dr. Chilton only stood, throwing his empty paper cup of coffee in a trash can, and opened his office door and stood aside, hand outstretched gesturing to outside. "I look forward to speaking with your mother in due course, Will. Have a good day in class."

Will threw Dr. Chilton a death glare, grabbed his books and exited the office. He turned and slammed the door on his way out.

_"Asshole."_

The rest of the day passed by quietly for Will, he sat next to Franklyn once again during lunch in the cafeteria, mostly ignoring the chubby boy's comforting words and then vivid description of how "bad-ass" the entire accident looked.

Will sat, but his eyes were trained tightly and securely on Jack Crawford and Tobias Budge, who had not taken their own eyes off Will the entire lunch period. Something was definitely wrong; more than usual.

After Biology class, Will nearly wanted to get down and kiss the floors of the room when he heard the last bell signaling the end of the day go off. This had by far been the slowest day of his life.

He helped clean his experiment area, and threw away his lab gloves and put his goggles back in the bin on the teacher's desk at the front of the room, making sure he had written down their homework chapters before he exited the room.

Will wasn't even a few feet out of the classroom, when a large, strong hand grabbed his shirt collar, and yanked him back. Will struggled, feeling as if he would choke any hand was literally causing the cloth of his dress shirt to wrap and constrict around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

"Wha-" He barely managed to wheeze out, before he was slammed back roughly into a random unattended locker.

In front of him stood Jack and Tobias, both boys glaring at him, their teeth bared like large, dark wolves ready to attack and rip him into shreds any second... Will knew exactly what this attack was about.

"I can explain-" He began.

"Why don't you start by telling me why the fuck Dr. Chilton rang up my mom and talked about some 'meeting', then?" Jack growled, slamming a thick hand on the metal door of the lock a few centimeters above Will's head.

Will jumped a bit in fear, thanking the gods above that it wasn't his head Jack had slammed his hand against. The accident's after-effects were still lingering.

"He c-called my house too..." Will began, "I don't know why exactly, I mean I told him not to...I said I'd be up for taking any in school suspension, but he didn't cater to that!" Will told truthfully.

Tobias turned to Jack. "Man let's just kick his ass right here, right now. I don't give a shit if he is telling the truth or not! Little rat deserves it!"

"Shut up, Tobias." Jack ordered.

He suddenly leaned forward so close in front of Will's face, that Will thought for a split second that Jack was going to either bite him or kiss him. They were barely an inch apart.

"I'm going to give you one last chance, Will," he started, his voice only low enough for Will to hear, "seeing as we can't avoid this damn meeting, that's fine. I can let that slide. But I swear man, if you do anything to blame this shit on me during the meeting, or make me look like a fool in front of Chilton or my mom, I promise you that you won't be standing on two feet ever again. You got that?" He asked, jabbing a large finger into Will's chest.

Will nodded frantically, his glasses slipping down his nose partially, due to the sweat formed on his forehead and running down on his nose.

"I said: you got that?" Jack repeated dangerously, eyes shining devilishly.

"Y-y-yes, I got it." Will responded.

"Good man." Jack backed off a few inches, and then slammed his forehead into Will's, giving him the head-butt of the century.

SMASH! The back of Will's skull practically meshed into the metal door of the locker he was pressed up against, and Will saw stars for the longest time. He held his head in his hands, and slowly sank to his feet and rested on the floor of the school.

"Let's go." Jack and Tobias stalked off without another glance or word to Will.

Will rocked back and forth on his hind feet, drawing himself into an almost-fetal position as he let the tears flow forth from his eyes. He didn't care anymore; didn't want to hold back. He didn't know what to do, or where to go from here on.

"Will?" He looked up and met the concerned eyes of Hannibal Lecter, who stood a few feet away diagonally from him.

Will hiccupped a few times, and then cried even harder.

"I witnessed the entire ordeal, Will." Hannibal announced.

Will hiccupped, and laughed as more tears fell from his cheeks onto his lap, darkening the material of his brown pants and making little stain marks appear. "I know, that's why I'm crying and laughing even more! I'm so fucked, Hannibal!"

Hannibal walked over to Will, frowning lightly. "Language, Will." He knelt down on the balls of the back of his feet, staring at Will, searching for any signs of head injury.

"Hannibal, I hardly-hic!-think th-th-that m-my-hic!-language is the on-only pr-pr-pro-hic!-blem here!" Will took forever to spread out evenly.

Hannibal sighed. "Will, let me help you up." He grabbed Will by both hands strongly, and then let one of his hands support his lower back as he stood Will up gently.

Will took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. He suddenly remembered who it was he had been found crying by. "I'm hic! fine!" He tried to stand up straighter and look more strong in front of Hannibal.

Hannibal cupped Will's chin randomly and suddenly, hand firm but gentle. Will ceased his hiccupping right on the spot, eyes wide as he stared at Hannibal.

Hannibal smiled warmly. "Yes, you are fine, Will. But Jack Crawford won't be." His smile grew larger and wider, as he looked deeply into Will's eyes.


	9. Friendship Tested

**Chapter 9**

Despite wishing to skip school due to Jack Crawford's act of violent harassment towards him, come Monday morning, Will was off to school with his bag slung over his left shoulder only, a hand shoved deeply into his right hand pocket as he lowered his head and kept his eyes on the ground only. Hopefully he would not run into Jack or Tobias today.

Will was already a few minutes late when he reached Mr. Gideon's English Literature classroom. However, not a single person noticed him slip in silently, for at the front of the room stood Hannibal Lecter, and it appeared as if he was giving a speech...

Will froze at the door, and met Hannibal's eyes.

"The divine entity not only challenges our inner desires, but it sets ablaze within our hearts a deep sense of lingering hope...hope that one day, we too will become immortal through the minds and eyes of everyone we hold dear to our hearts. Each of us has a sense of the world mirroring back how grand we are. No one wants to be held under the magnifying glass like a little ant subject to the whims and playful nature of an inquisitive child..."

Will could only stare at Hannibal as he listened to him present what was apparently Hannibal's essay regarding notions of self and notions of the world. The essay was well known throughout the entire school due to the fact that Hannibal had been awarded with the first 100% ever given in Baltimore State High School. It was something of a debut for him, also due to the fact that he had earned the mark when he was in Grade 9.

"Will! Why are you so late?" Will was shaken out of his little stupor by the grumbling voice of Mr. Gideon.

As soon as the sentence had been uttered, thirty sets of eyes landed on Will.

_"Well, shit...why don't you just announce how late I arrived to class to the entire school? Make my day."_

A few people giggled, and one student muttered something about Will possibly being stoned out of his mind.

"Are you going to sit down, Will? Or are you going to continue to disrespect our guest lecturer today?" Mr. Gideon was getting on Will's last nerve, but he was more intrigued as to how and why Hannibal had been chosen as a "guest lecturer". What was the special occasion?

Will gave Hannibal an apologetic look, which only earned him a small warm smile from Hannibal in return.

Will tried to focus on Hannibal's enchanting voice that was all too much like the sweet taste of nectar pouring and flowing forth from his mouth as he read his piece for the class. It was all a wonderful, serene dream, and Will literally felt himself give into the words and feelings. He felt as if Hannibal was seducing him with his work of art; as if he had written this piece intentionally for Will...

He closed his eyes and sat straight in his seat, feeling like a little baby being lulled to sleep. But that sleep was short-lived, for the loud, incessant buzzing of Will's cell phone went off, making him practically jump forward in his seat and slam his head onto the wood of his desk.

"WILL!" Mr. Gideon's angry voice made Will cringe.

"That's it, you're out! I thought you knew very well about the strict "no cell phone in class" policy by now!" Mr. Gideon stood and ushered Will out of the classroom, giving him a dirty look before shutting the door in his face.

Will looked through the glass of the classroom door at Hannibal, who looked back with a confused expression, but mouthed the word: "Go".

Will nodded and turned away from the door. As he walked down the hall, he turned to his left and opened a door that lead to the top of the staircase and he descended downwards until he reached a small space at the bottom of the stairs, and walking forward until he was well hidden within the back of the stairwell.

As he walked, he pulled out his cell phone from his school bag, tapped the screen to bring the phone's screen light to life, and looked to see a text message from an unknown number that read: **We're still keeping our eyes on you, remember it.**

It was no surprise as to who had sent the message, but Will wondered how it came to be that Jack Crawford got a hold of his cell phone number. But then again, it WAS Jack flipping Crawford.

Will would often retreat to the stairwells whenever he felt he needed his personal time alone from everyone else, and it was too cold outside to go under the safe shade of his favourite tree as winter was soon to arrive. The stairwell-though gloomy it was, and slightly cramped, would have to do for today. But Will was in for a big disappointment.

He immediately had to hold his breath when the strong smell of tobacco hit his nose. He coughed and looked forward to see both Brian Zeller and Jimmy Price wearing dark matching hoodies as they smoked and giggled under the lowered hoods. They both sat crossed legged on the orange tiled floor of the stairwell, their backs resting against the medium sized rectangular windows which revealed the chilly, gloomy late autumn outdoor scenery.

They gasped as soon as their eyes landed upon Will.

"Yo! Will! Jesus, man! Don't be creepin' up on people!" Jimmy hissed as he coughed and spat out a large glob of spit onto the tiled floor of the stairwell.

Will held back the urge to vomit at that.

"Ummm just because you guys found a way to take the fire alarm apart for this entire floor and stairwell, doesn't mean I can't enjoy SOME fresh air." He grumbled, adding extra emphasis on the word 'some'.

"Believe me, Will, we didn't want to come here either." Jimmy huffed as he crossed his legs and leaned his head back against a window, the shadow line of his hood partially hiding his heavy lidded eyes.

"Wait...why _did_ we come here, then?" Brian inquired, squinting back and forth at Will and Jimmy.

"Because _you_ are not allowed in my house anymore to smoke and get high!"

"Remind me again why..." Brian asked again, taking another drag.

"Dude you stole two beds from the local donation store and snuck them in my house..." Jimmy groaned as if they had been over this three thousand times already.

"Yeah, we needed them for when I crash some nights at your place." Brian argued back, blowing puffs of smoke everywhere in little well practiced circles.

"It was just the two of us! I have my own bed! You needed only _one_! Why get an extra bed?!"

"I wanted to set it on fire." Brian laughed.

Will rolled his eyes. "Are you two finished, yet?"

Both drug addicted boys laughed their asses off at this statement, as if it was the world's most amusing joke that Will was not in on; despite having said it himself initially.

Jimmy pet the spot to his right side on the floor and looked at Will. "C'mere, dude. Just chill with us for a sec. You're alright, you know?"

Will grinned a little, shoving his phone into his pocket. He threw his schoolbag off his shoulders and plumped down next to Jimmy.

Brian offered him a cigarette, and Will shook his head.

"Don't be a chicken shit!" Brian growled, running a hand through his messy, dark hair. Will looked at Brian's hair for a moment, wondering when Brian had taken his last shower. "Fine." He was in no mood to argue.

"That's a man!" Brian cheered happily, grabbing a lighter from his hoodie pocket and tossing it at Will.

Will did a mock bow as he lit his cigarette and took a puff, and seconds later choking and spurting out in violent coughs. is chest heaved in and out as he struggled for breath.

"Ooooh! We popped your cherry!" Brian laughed.

Jimmy frowned. "Gross, dude... just...no..."

"I meant with cigarettes...we popped his cherry with cigarettes."

"Hey, Price? Zeller?" Will called.

"Yeah?" The boys cried in unison.

"Shut the fuck up." Will growled as he shook his head, eyes watering from the stench of the cigarette. This was not one of Will's finest moments, but at this point he was so stressed over lessons with Hannibal, Gideon, Freddy, Dr. Chilton, Alana, Beverly, his grades, and Jack, that he didn't really care about being a stickler for rules. He needed to just let loose.

"This is some good shit, isn't it?" Jimmy said as he watched Will look at his own hand holding the cigarette.

Will nodded. "You could say that."

Jimmy grinned crookedly. "You know something Will? I think Brian and I underestimated you big time. You're cool beans."

Will grinned back. "Thanks Jimmy, you're not so bad yourself...when I'm high, that is."

Brian was the first to laugh at this. "Oooh he gotcha, Price!"

Jimmy snorted. "Hey Will, check this out!" He reached into his schoolbag and pulled out a bottle of fresh cologne. He sprayed it on himself quickly. "Smell that?" He asked, as if Will did not have a nose and a sense of smell.

Will nodded, a bit impressed. Who'd have thought that a crack head like Jimmy Price could have such good taste in male cologne?

"It's nice...so which mall did you steal it from?" Will inquired as he flicked his cigarette and coughed once more.

Jimmy frowned right away as if he had been accused of committing the crime of the decade "Hey, I actually bought this one with my Nan's money she gave me for my sixteenth birthday!"

"Hmm it's cool."

"Smells like deep-fried whale ass." Brian randomly stated as he looked out at the portables on the other side of the windows, clearly spacing out.

Both Will and Jimmy cringed, but ignored the comment.

Will was about to take another puff from the cigarette, when suddenly, the stairwell doors clicked open, and the sound of high heels clicking across the tiled floor echoed in the large stairwell and bounced off the walls, hitting six ears at the same time. The boys froze in shock and fear, but then got to work quickly putting out their cigarettes as quickly as they could. But it was no use as the clicking of heels grew louder and closer towards their location.

"Hey! What are you guys doing?!" Will wanted to scream and throw himself at the wall. It was Freddy Lounds who had stumbled upon them. Of all people! This was one of Will's worst days in high school history.

Freddy was wearing silver studded thigh high grey and black striped boots, with black stockings with little spider web designs littered all over them, and a dark blue vest that appeared as if her grandmother had sown it for her and given it to her on Christmas morning.

Freddy put her black painted nails on her hips and stared disapprovingly at all three boys.

Jimmy Price looked her up and down, obviously checking her out in a not-too-chaste manner. He liked what he saw, for he crossed his hands behind his head as he leaned back more against the window, pulling away his hood from his face and revealing his full facial features for Freddy.

"Hey girl, why don't you just sit here with us? We're having a pretty good party here!" He smiled and winked.

Freddy paused for a moment and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Why on Earth is Will Graham with _you_ two?" She inquired, her patience obviously beginning to run thin.

Jimmy looked at Will and snorted. "Him? What, you kidding me baby? We don't know him. He just invited himself, practically."

"Oh really?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest and zooming in her hawk-like vision on Jimmy.

"For sure! See, Zeller and I here are trying out for the upcoming play the drama club is putting on for the parents in June, but it's all hush-hush, trade secret, and we often come to the stairwell when we're not rehearsing long hours. It is our place of salvation, and we gain a lot of inspiration here, just being in the solitude, facing the glamorous, graceful display of nature before us...you know?"

A stony pale face was all Jimmy was met with minutes on end. Then as if it worked like a magical charm, Freddy smirked slowly. She seemed both amused and curious. "Oh really? Do elaborate."

Jimmy winked at her. "Well, I always knew I had an artistic temperament deep within me. I felt it as a child, and ever since, I felt I needed to dedicate my time and energy in something more grandiose. I like being creative, but it is not always appreciated in the eyes of others!"

Will wanted to crawl and hide in a dark hole in the ground. This was beyond embarrassing. Even Brian Zeller's jaw had dropped a little as he listened on to his friend try to woo Freddy Lounds.

Freddy giggled and walked a little closer towards Jimmy. If only Jimmy knew he was playing with fire; but for once Freddy's body posture was genuinely relaxed, and she even looked more gentle and approachable than anyone had ever seen her to be.

"It is avant garde, you know? But I want to uphold the gift that is my art, and if no one appreciates it, I could care less! I live for the arts! I do what I can for it! All that is in my power is dedicated to making art come alive in every shape and form possible! Only a true kindred spirit will understand, I'm afraid. I want to save all I can with my work, but that is not always possible, unfortunately." His voice grew louder and louder as he pretty much gave in to his own foolish, phoney passionate rant.

Freddy clasped her hands together on her chest, in awe at Jimmy's speech. "Oh my god! You really are _not_ fearful of who you truly are!"

"Why should I be, darling? Why should I be like a muddy, brown paintbrush that moulds and blends in the clearing waters, and leaving behind its bland trail? I want to stand out. I want to be different. I love being different and unique! Let my paintbrush leave a mark in _that_ way! But I won't give up anything without a fight."

"I do too! I really admire your bold nature, though! I wish I could be more like you." Freddy began blushing and she wrapped a finger around a bouncy red curl, twirling it around and around as she gazed forlornly at Jimmy.

"I can teach it to you! I would love to share my artistic gifts and talents with you...and more..." Jimmy whispered dramatically.

"I love the arts! Especially fashion! But writing is more my forte." Freddy smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth at Jimmy Price.

"You're an even more talented soul than I am! I mean look at you! It _is_ clear as day, you know." He checked her form out once more, very lewdly. Though Freddy was too far gone under Price's spell to notice.

She blushed and turned a shade of red that nearly matched her own hair color. "No, don't say that. I'm sure you have set eyes upon a larger number of near perfect women!"

"On the contrary! You're but a rare Goddess! Why even my good friend Will here was just telling me how fond he is of how you dress and he thinks you're dashing all around!" Price stated ever so proudly.

Freddy suddenly ceased in all her movements and frowned darkly. "But I thought you said you didn't know Will..."

"Busted." Will said calmly.

Freddy stomped over to Jimmy and slapped him hard and swiftly on the left cheek before storming out of the stairwell through the doors she entered earlier.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Brian burst into laughter, holding his sides as watery tears streamed out of the corners of his eyes.

"CALL ME!" Jimmy yelled after her, the hearts practically oozing out of his eyeballs as he gazed after her.

He sighed a passionate sigh, and held a hand to his stinging left cheek. "I've never had a woman slap me that hard and with that level of intense anger before..." He gazed at the lights in the ceiling and wore a dopey smile on his face that was not the after- effect of any drug.

"Dude, you are sooooo full of it!" Brian laughed more, slapping his thighs in uncontrolled bursts.

"She's so into me." Jimmy stated, puffing out his chest.

Will shook his head, glancing at Freddy's residual hand print now turning a beet shade of red on Jimmy's left cheek. "I highly, _highly_ doubt that, Jimmy."

"Ombra mai fu, di vegetabile, cara ed amabile, soave più!"

"A shade there never was, of any plant, dearer and more lovely, or more sweet." Hannibal's warm voice translated from memory the operatic lyrics to George Frideric Handel's opening aria from the 1738 opera: Serse, Largo, "Ombra Mai Fu".

The rich, colorful tenor voice echoed throughout Hannibal's rec. room, located in the basement of the large house. Will had his eyes closed, and was lying down on a large dark brown couch near the window of the room located in the far back center, while Hannibal paced back and forth, holding a small white book in his hands as he translated the original libretto for Will.

"I have never felt more at ease and calm in my entire life." Will stated to no one in particular. He could almost fall asleep on the couch right there and then.

Their fifth tutor session had gone more smoothly than Will had originally anticipated; with Hannibal announcing that since Will had drastically improved his writing skills, they should treat themselves to some leisure time in the basement of the house. Leisure time according to Hannibal consisted of opening all doors and windows in the basement, letting natural fresh air flow through the room as a light drizzle began outside, making the last of the autumn leaves fall from the shaky trees and wash away onto the wet, soggy roads and grass, while classical music played in the large High Definition Blu-Ray player at the left side of the room, with the male opera singer displayed on the 60 inch wide screen flat TV set mounted on a dark antique desk.

Truth be told, Will wouldn't have it any other way. This was true serenity and peace. He didn't even seem to mind the slight chilly wind that blew in some raindrops that landed on Will's stubbled face.

Will opened his eyes when he felt Hannibal's weight upon the end of the couch near his feet. Hannibal seemed focused on the white book in his hands. The white book was more a notebook of some sorts, and it held all the notes and commentary that Hannibal left in Will's works and essays. Why Hannibal had it out and open now was a bit confusing, for after all, Hannibal himself had stated that Will had improved exponentially since they first began lessons.

"Hannibal? What's going on?" Will inquired, sitting up a bit.

Hannibal turned to Will, his slicked back hair shining in the dimmed ceiling lights. Today he wore a dark red dress shirt that was half unbuttoned with cream colored dress pants. Instead of his custom black dress shoes, Hannibal was barefoot. For some reason this amused Will greatly, for it made Hannibal seem so...at ease...it was as if his regular stoic, taciturn character was slowly peeling away to reveal something more ethereal.

Hannibal seemingly ignored Will's question for some very long, expanded moments of time while the instruments played on, accompanying the opera singer. Will thought Hannibal was listening to the music, when Hannibal finally (and thankfully, to Will) turned to meet the younger boy's inquisitive and concerned gaze. Hannibal's slicked hair moved along with the turn of his head, resulting in one thin strand of dirty blond hair slipping away from the rest of the group, and falling down resting onto his forehead and hanging lopsided near his left eye, almost, but not quite yet covering that mysterious eye.

Will felt his throat become dry and he quickly swallowed. Was he in trouble?

"Will, have you ever questioned the real nature of a person before?"

Will quirked an eyebrow. "I-I don't know what you're referring to-"

"I don't believe in God so much, or the idea of a God who has created us to be as we are in one, solidified spirit and nature, but what of your thoughts? What do you think is the true meaning of the nature of man?"

Will's eyes widened. Hannibal was starting to freak him out. Was this a part of their lesson? "Umm, well, I believe we were all created differently, of course, but what does that have to do with our nature? Natures can change as we grow older." He stated calmly, hoping his sentence made some sort of sense.

"I think not, Will. People don't change. They grow. They grow up, much like a well nourished and watered seedling, or they have the option of growing corrupt. Which is also much like a seedling that is not well taken care of and regarded by the gardener, and left to the mercy of insects and birds to prey upon it." Hannibal finished as he crossed his slender legs with the left one crossed over the right one.

Will began to feel his mood grow dark. What the hell inspired this conversation anyway? He was having a relaxing time with Hannibal when all of a sudden Hannibal had decided to play know-it-all on him.

"Well I'm glad you informed me." He hoped he did not sound as sarcastic as he felt inside.

Hannibal bore no readable expression on his face, but merely stared at Will as if an unannounced staring contest had long begun.

Will stared back at him, determined not to let Hannibal walk all over him. If this was a type of bullying in Hannibal's mind, he was better off knocking it off. Will was not in the mood.

"And what of the nature of Franklyn Froideveux, then? What do you think about him? How do you feel about him?" Hannibal asked suddenly, his voice slicing through the silence of the slightly cool room like a butcher knife meeting the first impact on cold dead flesh.

_"What the hell kind of question is that?!" _Will's mind supplied.

"I d-don't know...he's just as confused as I am, I g-guess." _"Why am I stuttering?"_

"Confused, or ignorant?" Hannibal retorted.

Will shrugged. "He's not someone I ever was close to."

"And why not? He's as helpless and entirely recklessly confused as you ever have been." Hannibal whispered, checking out his fingernails, as if the conversation was suddenly boring him.

"Look if you have some unresolved issue with Franklyn, why don't you talk to him about it?" Will asked, almost ready to vomit as he noticed how close he sounded to speaking like Dr. Chilton would to a student.

"Do you pity him then, Will?"

Will sat up straighter. "I don't pity Franklyn Froideveux out of some call to duty...it's not an obligation, Hannibal." He ground out through his teeth, eyes never leaving Hannibal's.

"Oh yes it is," he challenged, "you don't feel inclined to reach out to someone unless they resemble your character, Will."

Will squinted at Hannibal. "I. Do. Not." He poured out, word for word as clearly as he could.

"And what of Jack, then? How do you feel about his inherently destructive nature, Will? Do you feel that it strangely is akin to your own? Leaving a trail of destruction in its wake? Much like the last traces of the smell of fire and the falling ashes... unlike a fire, however, your quest for conquering all that is not you is insatiable and not stopped easily by cold waters. This is why and how you are very much like Jack Crawford." Hannibal had broken the proverbial straw on the camel's back with that last statement. Ever since Hannibal had happened upon Will being tormented by Jack and Tobias last week, neither of the two boys had ever spoken about the incident. Will wanted to keep whatever was left of his shredded dignity, and he thought that Hannibal had felt and understood that wish.

But he had had enough of Hannibal's silly questions. It felt as if they were back to square one. Will felt truly hurt and shattered. He had been so silly and childish to think that Hannibal had regarded him as some sort of friend. Hannibal only was a tutor to Will, and nothing more. There would never be a friendship between them, and the sooner he realized it, the better for himself it was.

He stood from the couch and ripped his coat off from a coat hanger that stood near the door of the rec. room and turned to glare at Hannibal. "Don't you dare ever psychoanalyze me. You won't like me when I'm psychoanalyzed."

With that last statement, he walked out of the room and house, and forever out of Hannibal Lecter's life. What Will failed to see was how Hannibal's head lowered ever so slightly as he turned his gaze down to the floor of the room in an empty and somewhat hurt expression.


	10. The Curiosity of Dr Chilton

**Chapter 10**

Over the next few weeks, Will was able to avoid Hannibal quite well. Sure, a small part of Will missed their time together, but to make up for it, Will had practiced what Hannibal had instructed him to do on his own time. He read and took notes from the dictionary every day, trying to expand his vocabulary as much as he possibly could. He would often construct his own short essays in the late evenings for extra practice.

But there was still something missing...and that was Hannibal's presence. He had taught Will the basics, and the theory. Will appreciated that to no end. However, he desired and deeply yearned for more contact.

Neither Hannibal nor Will had attempted to call each other or meet for a chat. Whenever they accidentally walked past each other in the halls at school, Hannibal would extend a curt nod in Will's direction, but Will would only turn away or stare at the floor in response. It seemed as if their friendship had truly ended after all.

He just couldn't understand why Hannibal had turned so cold towards him last time they spoke. He knew how much Jack had tormented him, and he knew that Will was rather sensitive towards the entire subject. So why did he have to go and bring it up? _"He probably gets off on humiliating people."_ Will thought to himself as he reached his locker at the end of the day and shoved whatever books he needed for the weekend into his bag.

Although Will knew very well that he was not going anywhere at the moment. Today was the day that Dr. Chilton had arranged to meet and talk with Will's adoptive guardian as well as Jack Crawford and his mother. This was going to be hell, just pure, raw hell. Fire and brimstone to the neck.

Will sat down on the red brown wooden bench outside of Dr. Chilton's office. Opposite him faced a medium sized square window which opened his view to the large forum of the high school. Will sat and watched painfully as the rest of his classmates and peers shouted and ran about the place like a menagerie of insane monkeys, hooting and hollering about, excited for the weekend. Will observed a few guys in his gym class jump down from the large staircases that lead up to the second floor of the school, half of the boys sliding down the banister, and the other half just jumping down from the fifteenth step all the way to the bottom of the floor of the main floor of the school.

Will rolled his eyes and murmured something about prepubescent freaks when he saw from the far left side of the window, which lead to the back door that lead to the school's parking lot for guests and visitors, open. The heavy navy blue door swung open and shut ever so slowly, as if it were a coffin lid swinging shut on Will himself.

He resisted the urge to groan when he saw the light blond hair of his adoptive mother in full view. Her pale face was set to a neutral expression as she walked and turned to stop at the doors that lead to the waiting area of Dr. Chilton's office.

Once her blue eyes set upon Will, she smiled lightly, her thin pink lips turning upward at the corners of her mouth. She swung her red purse aside and flicked back her medium length wavy blond hair as she opened the door. Her black high heels clicked on the carpet of the waiting area, slightly muffled. Will wished it was his neck she was walking on, so it would choke him out of his misery of bringing her to the school to begin with.

Under her expensive cream colored raincoat, she wore a pink business dress. Will's adoptive mother had once been an esteemed psychiatrist. Bedelia Du Maurier had to unfortunately cease her practice due to a horrific accident that lead to one of her former patients attacking her. She was lucky enough to escape and survive, but the post traumatic stress she had faced lead her to quit practice and instead spend her time with her adopted son, Will Graham.

"Hi sweetheart." She cooed down at Will as she sat next to him on the bench and ran a black kid gloved hand through his messy dark brown curly hair.

"Bedelia! Don't do that!" Will shook her hand off and turned away from her gaze. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate her and love her as his new mother; he just wasn't yet used to her over-affectionate and over-protective nature. It was for that very same reason that Will still couldn't bring himself to calling her "mother" either. He saw Bedelia as a friend more than a mother figure.

He swatted her hand once more as she tried to rest it upon his shoulder.

"What happened, Will? Please just talk to me." She calmly stated as she looked him up and down, obviously checking for signs of a physical battering with another student.

Will sighed and slumped in his seat. "It was nothing."

She shook her head, not believing him. "Sweetheart, are you having conflict with Jack Crawford again?"

Will threw his hands in the air violently. "Great. Just...yeah!" He laughed in a strained huff, trying not to get up and run out of the waiting area out of fear and panic. If Bedelia already knew, then Jack's mother surely knew too.

"Will, I am only trying to help. But I can't help you if you don't talk to me and give me answers." She sighed as she kept her eyes trained on Will.

Will looked down at his jeans and frowned. A piece of lint hung onto the side of his right thigh and he began flicking it downward.

"Will?"

He kept flicking it, watching as it danced down his leg and close to his kneecap.

"Will!" She cried in exhaustion.

Will growled, "What!?" He suddenly wanted to take the outburst back when he turned and saw Bedelia's hurt expression.

"Look, I am sorry, Bedelia...I didn't mean to take out my anger on you. It's just been a rough couple of days." He was barely reaching the tip of the iceberg with that one.

Bedelia sighed but did not question or pry any further. She knew her adopted son well enough to recognize the tone of his voice, and it meant "No more questions at this point."

"Alright, Will." Was all she countered as she turned and faced the window facing the forum of the school and looked out it miserably.

_"Oh great, now I feel even more like crap! I put her into a bad mood too! Why do I have to ruin everything?"_ Will battled internally as he clenched his fists tightly against his sides.

He really didn't want to insult or hurt Bedelia; she was just not helping at the moment. She didn't understand how. Sure she wanted the best for him, as any caring, concerned parent would, but Will wanted to achieve a stable sense of independence for once. How was he supposed to fare in college and take care of his personal problems if his guardian and councellors would always intervene? This was the only way. Sometimes in order to achieve something great, one needed to face hardship and pain. But in the end, Bedelia would see that this was all for his own good.

Will's thoughts were interrupted when he felt Bedelia shift back towards him, her warm blue eyes looking him up and down.

He looked at her hair instead of meeting her eyes. "What now?" He wheezed out. He was not ready for another lecture or interview.

Her only response was pulling out a napkin from the front of her coat pocket, and she unfolded it and brought it up to her mouth, her pink tongue darted out and wet it before she turned and applied it to Will's left cheek. She scrubbed the napkin up and down hard along his stubbled cheek.

"Bedelia! What the-?! Gross! Stop!" He cried as he turned his head away from her and recoiled as far away as he could.

"Honey, you have some dirt on your face." She stated collectedly as she gripped his jaw in her strong hand and kept rubbing.

"Nnnnugh!" Will cried savagely, his vocal cords burning as soon as that sound was emitted from them, his feet scraping along the carpet of the waiting room as he bore the gross warm wet saliva upon his skin. He gripped the sides of the bench tightly, fingernails practically embedded in the wood.

"How motherly." Both Will and Bedelia froze at the sound of Dr. Chilton's soft voice as he stood, leaning against the wooden door frame of his open office door. He smirked devilishly at the ridiculous display of affection before him.

Will wanted to die right then and there. _"How long has he been standing there?"_

"Dr. Frederick Chilton. Pleased to meet your acquaintance." He walked forward with his hand outstretched for Bedelia.

She looked at him with a plain expression and shook his hand. "Ms. Maurier."

"You mean Dr. Maurier?" Dr. Chilton asked, eyes widening a bit.

Bedelia nodded. Will gasped slightly. How on earth was Dr. Chilton aware that his adoptive mother was once a psychiatrist?!

"It's Ms. Maurier. There was a time I was once known by that established moniker. But I have closed my practice and stopped seeing patients for years, now." She said sadly, looking around the office fondly as if she had lived there and built her greatest memories there.

"Yes, I am somewhat of a fan of yours, actually. I really enjoyed your research on psychosexual deviants especially." Dr. Chilton explained as he waved a hand in the air.

Will rolled his eyes.

"I bet you did." Will's jaw nearly dropped to the floor once his ears registered what Bedelia had retorted back to Dr. Chilton.

Will was tempted to leap up to his feet and yell: "BUUURRRRN!" to Dr. Chilton and point and laugh in his face, but that would be nothing short of childish. But he had given his adoptive mother a small laugh and smile of approval. She was a feisty one when she needed to be!

Dr. Chilton's face began to turn red as his eyebrows clumped together in obvious anger and embarrassment. He waved his hand in the air once more, as if trying to fan himself from the growing heat in his face.

"Have you read _my_ work and _my_ research, Dr. Maurier? I highly recommend it. I am well trained academically in recognizing the early presenting signs of antisocial, sociopathic behaviours in young teenagers. It would be a great help-" he paused to throw a dirty look at Will- "in dealing with young Mr. Graham here. I believe he can be helped." Dr. Chilton finished, clasping his hands in his lap and wearing a leprechaun-like shit-eating grin on his face that Will wanted to knock off with a shovel.

Bedelia only smiled warmly. "Ms. Maurier. I am afraid I have not read it or heard of it, Dr. Chilton. However, might I suggest testing out your own theories on yourself before you can safely recommend it to others? I believe it would help in solidifying your credentials and lead you onward to becoming, shall we say, more highly accredited?"

Will tried his best to contain his laughter. He really truly did. But that was too much. He bent over in laughter, holding his head in both his hands as his back heaved as he roared in laughter.

"Mr. Graham! That is quite enough!" Dr. Chilton hissed dangerously.

Will could not cease his guffaws of laugher nevertheless. The fact that Bedelia had not been afraid to call Dr. Chilton out on his suspicious medical credentials was absolutely a price to behold. She had over-stepped the lines, but it was long over-due for Dr. Chilton. She had put him in his place just the proper way.

Their happiness however was short-lived when the door to the waiting area opened up once more, and Jack Crawford and his mother Irene Crawford entered, both wearing stern expressions on their faces.

Irene Crawford was a tall, thin woman with long blue black hair that hung just down to her waistline. She wore short, ankle-high black winter boots that were a bit dirty, with a long dark blue thick winter coat.

Jack wore his Baltimore State High School gym blazer, with his hands buried deep in the pockets. He threw Will a killer of a look as he shut the door behind him.

"Ah, Mrs. Crawford, Jack. Please, would you all come into my office and make yourselves comfortable?" Dr. Chilton asked, turning aside and walking ahead into his office. He turned on the lights and pulled up a few more blue chairs as Jack and his mother sat to the far left side of the wall of the office, directly facing opposing two more blue chairs that Will and Bedelia occupied.

Irene nodded at Bedelia, who gave her a half-smile. It was as if a silent agreement had already taken place among the two women that they would be here for the sake of their sons and would never look forward to meeting each other ever again.

Will pulled at his coat collar due to the increasing amount of tension on the room.

Dr. Chilton on the other hand either did not seem to notice it, or he did not care to. He poured himself a cup of water from the little water bottle he stored on the top shelf of his desk, and sat back in his seat with his arms folded in his lap.

"Now then, I just wanted to let everyone know that this is a safe place, and whatever we discuss will not leave this room. I highly believe in and respect confidentiality, and I want to make sure no one leaves this room without feeling that a solution has been reached. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded silently.

"Very well. This issue came to my attention when I noticed approximately two and a half weeks ago, Mr. Will Graham-during gym period-had a rather violent, physical encounter with Jack Crawford."

"Who are you calling violent, Dr. Chilton?" Irene viciously barked as she sat up as straight as a curtain rod, eyes pointed dangerously at Dr. Chilton.

"Please let me finish, Mrs. Crawford. I want you to hear all the events that transpired so you have a more clear picture." Dr. Chilton held up a hand, silencing the angry woman immediately. She let out a puff of hot air, but did as she was told. She only threw Will a dirty look that matched the one her son was currently sending Will.

_"Yup. Make it allllll my fault, Chilton."_ Will thought to himself depressingly.

"Now I understand that boys will always be boys, but this could have resulted in some serious damage to Will. As I witnessed it myself, along with the rest of the boys in Will's gym class _and_ the female cheerleading class, Will was thrown across the field and slid right into the goalie posts, headfirst, resulting in an immediate black-out. He was rushed to the nurse's office immediately, and he luckily woke up and passed the physical examinations successfully. Will's guardian, Dr. Maurier, also took him to the hospital the next day to double check. He is still doing exceedingly well, despite that accident, mind you."

"_Ms_. Maurier." Bedelia corrected for the tenth time that day practically.

"My apologies." Dr. Chilton passed, though he was not looking at Bedelia.

"Now, before things get, shall we say, heated, I would like both Will and Jack to talk to each other about just what happened that day on the football field." Dr. Chilton motioned with his hands for Jack and Will to begin.

Will looked at Jack, afraid of opening his mouth. The memory of Jack and Tobias cornering him after school and threatening him was still burning vividly in the back of his mind, as was the sent text message.

"Will? Dr. Chilton is talking to you." Bedelia ushered gently. Her eyes reflected a sad glare onto Will, who cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak.

"Ummm, well, see, it wasn't_ that_ bad, Dr. Chilton. Jack didn't really _run_ into me. I mean, I told you before that it was a muddy field, and it is possible he lost his footing." Will turned to meet the eyes of Jack, who seemed calm, but for how long was in question.

"So out of _all_ the other students on the field that day, Jack just miraculously happened to be facing your direction, tripped, lost his footing, and rammed into you?" It _did_ sound silly, but Will did not want to get a second beating from Jack and his goon Tobias.

"No, I j-just, accidents happen..." Will mustered.

_"Think! I can't just give half answers! Jack's gonna kill me!"_ He began to panic.

"Boys, I know all too well of your adversarial relationship. But that is why I called you all in here today. I want this matter to be resolved. Baltimore State High School wants to ensure the parents and guardians that their children are well taken care of. Our student safety policies are in place for a good reason!" Dr. Chilton swirled his water around in his cup, as if trying to create a large tsunami and drown everyone in the room with the water.

Jack huffed proudly. "Will and I have no," he paused and glared at Will in disgust and disapproval, "_relationship_. We just sometimes get in over our heads, Chilton."

"That's _Dr_. Chilton, Mr. Crawford!" Dr. Chilton barked, earning a raised eyebrow from Irene.

"Don't talk to my son in that tone of voice! Just because you hold some sort of _authority_ here, doesn't mean you can talk to him in that degrading manner!" She clutched her purse in her ruby red painted long nails, as if imaging it were Dr. Chilton's throat she was sinking her long sharp nails into.

_"Like mother, like son."_ Will debated.

"Mrs. Crawford, please calm yourself. I wasn't trying to insult or demean Jack at all." Dr. Chilton gasped, completely taken aback by Irene's bold attitude.

Irene only threw him a death glare, but her composure relaxed a bit.

"Now, you were saying, boys?" Dr. Chilton turned and looked back to the two boys in the room, as if silently pleading with them to begin talking so Irene would not scorn him any longer.

Will nodded. "It's as Jack said. We don't get along, but we have no problems. We just go to class, do our work. It's that simple."

"Yeah." Jack replied, nodding strongly.

_"Prick."_

"I don't mean to disagree with anyone here, but am I the only one who feels that Will is hiding something? It's the way in which he communicates...his dialogue indicates that he is almost, covering up for Jack...Will, do you fear Jack?" Dr. Chilton had definitely picked the _most _opportune time to play therapist.

Will wanted to slam his head onto Dr. Chilton's desk, and give himself another blackout. This was pure bullshit.

"Will, honey, are you hiding something? What's going on?" Bedelia asked.

"I am NOT!" Will almost screamed like a petulant child. He couldn't help it; this was getting on his final nerve.

"If he said he's not hiding anything, then he's not." Irene said to Bedelia.

"Please don't interfere!" Bedelia snapped back, her eyes shining threateningly at Irene.

"Well a thousand pardons." She muttered under her breath.

"Everyone, please, just remain calm!" Dr. Chilton instructed, setting his cup down as he sensed the room growing tense.

"Look, I ain't wasting my time here. I didn't do anything to Will, and you yourself said he is fine. I can see it for my own two eyes. He is sitting right here and he is fine. The rest is just rumor and hearsay. I am not going to discuss this anymore." Jack announced as he stood up and opened the office door and walked out, his mother following his lead.

She stopped in the doorway of the office and glared at everyone else in the room. "The school board will _definitely_ be hearing about these accusations aimed at my son! If he says he didn't do anything, then he is telling the truth! I know my child, and he'd never hurt this young man here. Do what you want, but we're finished here for today." With that last note, she turned and marched off after her son.

Bedelia and Will turned almost in unison and looked at Dr. Chilton.

Bedelia was the first to speak. "Perhaps you should write a research study report about today's incident? Might make one heck of a leap in medical science."

Dr. Chilton's face nearly boiled in temperature.

_"If looks could kill."_ Will thought, mentally high-fiving Bedelia.


	11. A Discovery in the Library

**Chapter 11**

**WARNING! Mentions of Other Character death! Sadness all around :-(**

_"Why on God's green Earth is Hannibal Lecter talking to Jack Crawford?!"_ Will's mind battled the question over and over. His weekend had been nothing but a misery; Bedelia had drove him home right after the meeting with Dr. Chilton, lecturing him the entire way home in the car about how he needed to be more open and receptive to positive and constructive criticism. Whatever the hell that meant, Will was entirely uncertain of. He mostly nodded and muttered "Yep. Uh huh." throughout the entire drive back home.

He just knew that no matter what, and no matter how hard she tried, Bedelia would never truly understand his world. It wasn't just the age-gap and generational difference; but Will was at a very tumultuous time at the moment. He was more concerned about pulling up his grades in Mr. Gideon's English Literature class, and that was his main, top priority.

After graduation, the name Jack Crawford would never again be a concern to him. He was certain Jack would go off to a small community college and major in Random Acts of Violence, also known as beating the shit out of minorities, and he would go off to a more prestigious college to hopefully study Law and Criminology. Will was not sure what he wanted to do in terms of careers, but he knew his passions were in the field of Criminology and Psychology.

But now, he was mostly curious as to why Hannibal was sitting next to Jack Crawford at the cafeteria tables during lunch, obviously engaged in an all too friendly conversation with the other boy.

Jack had obviously said something amusing, for Hannibal leaned his head back a little and let out a hearty laugh that Will had never heard before.

_"Yeah, laugh it up. You two are great for each other. Both nothing but liars and deceivers."_ Will eyed them wearily, noticing Tobias slumped over on the far end of the cafeteria table, food untouched as he threw death glares forward. He was sitting a far way away from the laughing Hannibal and Jack.

_"What's up his ass?"_ Will wondered. He was half-tempted to go over to Tobias and ask him if he had broken up with Jack, or if Jack had dumped him after the honey-moon period was over. But he knew that would only result in him getting the shit kicked out of him in front of the rest of the school. Tobias was wearing a murderous expression as it was, and Will was not in the mood for more lashings.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" Franklyn asked as he slid forward in his usual spot across Will at their table at the back of the cafeteria.

He immediately unzipped his lunchbox and pulled out a large, thick caramel apple and munched on it.

Will frowned. "Have you had that since Halloween?" He didn't want to truly know the answer to that question, but they were now in the first week of December, and it was not caramel apple season.

Franklyn smiled, his cheeks puffing out and making him resemble a jovial, chubby beaver. "Mmnoo, I haf hadf it thinth last Halloween!" He answered, with his mouth full of food.

Will shook his head. "Wonderful."

Will sighed and closed his eyes, eager to drown himself out of the loud, noisy cafeteria. He closed his eyes for what seemed like hours, and when he opened them, he saw himself standing at the front of a large cemetery. He walked forward, taking note of the grey green clouds hanging in the air above him. A strong gust of wind blew by, nearly knocking his glasses off his face. Will followed the trail of the wind, looking down at the dried out brown grass, dead at his feet. His sneakers scraped against the dead grass, and the dull blades fell apart instantly upon contact; much like the heads of daises popping off and rolling away.

As he passed many cracked and broken tombstones, the ones that caught his eyes and made him gasp out loud and drop to his knees as tears freely and uncontrollably fell from his eyes and splattered against his glasses, blurring his vision, were the ones of his parents. Will clutched at the dead grass tightly, reading the carvings on the grey tombstones before him.

**"Here lies Christopher Graham, proud and loving father, and husband."**

He then turned to the tombstone next to his father's and read the engraving on that one out loud as well. **"Here lies the beloved and long lost Eileen Graham, gentle and compassionate mother, and wife."**

Will's parents had died in a terrible drowning accident. Will had barely been three years old when it happened. His parents had left him with his grandmother while they went on a well needed and well deserved vacation to Scotland. Will's mother had always wanted to see Scotland.

Eileen had been swimming in a lake one warm day, when she had unexpectedly run out of breath due to an ongoing weak heart she had had since childbirth. She tried to catch her breath and pause for a short break, but she was suddenly submerged under water, her foot getting caught under some moving medium sized boulders. The boulder had trapped her foot tightly, and when she came to she had splashed about and tried fighting for her life. Her husband, Christopher had spotted her thrashing and struggling in the water immediately, and dove in after her to save her life.

He had almost had her foot out from under the boulder's heavy grip, when a large, strong wave had unexpectedly come forth, carrying a large, heavy log along with it downstream, and it had rammed right into Christopher's skull, killing him immediately. Eileen held onto her husband's body tightly, as she closed her eyes and felt the life leaving her body. But she had died with a smile on her face as she had died with her husband in her arms.

Will's grandmother had explained it all to Will when he was barely eight years old. She had died the year after, and with no one else left to care for Will, he was soon taken by Social Services until Bedelia came along and adopted him into her welcoming home and heart.

Not a day passed by that Will did not think about his parents and the tragic accident. He began coughing as the tears did not stop, but only grew more strong as he began pounding his balled fists madly onto the cold, dead earth beneath him.

"Why did you guys have to leave me when I needed you most?!" He cried, looking accusingly at the tombstones.

"I _still_ need you!"

All of a sudden, the sky above him began to shift and change dramatically. Will felt the wind growing stronger, and he looked up to see a funnel cloud forming quickly. Bits of dead leaves and grass began to fly about into the air, some landing in Will's hair, and some sticking to his clothing.

The funnel cloud began to descend downward, soon to become a massive tornado. Will needed to get out of there, fast!

But before he could stand on his two, shaky feet, two sets of decomposing corpse hands burst forth out from the tombstones and latched themselves onto Will's feet.

Will screamed in fear and fell onto his back as he was dragged across the dirt and right into the faces of his dead parents.

"Mom...dad..." Will breathed above a whisper.

His parents had blood red eyes, and their mouths were in the shape of an "O".

Suddenly, Will's father opened his mouth wider to speak, revealing a set of rotten teeth which bore a few maggots on them. "Was I right?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"What?!" Was all Will could ask.

"Was I right?" Suddenly his father began shaking him back and forth harsher than Will expected out of a corpse.

"WAS I RIGHT? WAS I RIGHT? WAS I RIGHT? WAS I RIGHT? WAS I RIGHT?!" The corpse yelled over and over into Will's ears.

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Will screamed from the bottom of his lungs and fought back against the decomposed hands that grabbed him tightly, never intending to let go.

It was all deadly silent then.

Will opened his eyes to see a silent cafeteria filled with at least one hundred and fifty confused and scared students who gaped at him in shock.

Will looked at the concerned face of Franklyn, who was holding onto both his shoulders. It had been Franklyn who had shaken him.

"Will? Are you ok?" He asked in a shaky voice.

Will gathered his breath and took his glasses off his nose, holding them against his forehead as he ducked his eyes out of the view of his schoolmates' views.

"Y-yes, Franklyn. I'm fine. You just startled me." He spoke into his arms holding up his head.

The cafeteria soon sprung back to life, a few students muttering and shaking their heads calling Will a "freak". Within minutes, everything had returned to normal.

Will put his glasses back on his nose and stared at his lunchbox, which had had not even opened yet.

"So was I right?" Franklyn asked again.

Will looked up at him from the rim of his glasses. "What?"

"I said: was I right about Hannibal?"

Will glanced over at Hannibal as soon as his name had left Franklyn's lips. Hannibal was already looking at him. He was met with a worried expression for a few seconds, before much like a candle flame, it flickered out and he was met with a cold, stern expression.

He turned away and stared back at Franklyn.

Franklyn shook his head. "Told you he was not to be trusted."

Will sighed. "Go play in traffic, Franklyn."

Will barely contained a sneeze as he peeked at Hannibal, Jack, and Tobias sitting at a medium sized wooden desk at the back of the library.

_"I can't believe I am resorting to stalking Hannibal Lecter."_ He felt ashamed, but it was the very truth. Will had skipped his biology class at the end of the day, and he instead following Hannibal to the library. Hannibal had a free spare period, as all twelfth graders did at Baltimore State High School, and he would often come to the old, decrepit library to stick his nose into books as thick as a small tree stump.

If anyone wanted to find Hannibal, and if anyone ever asked, the first answer they would receive is: "Have you checked the library?" Will wondered whether Hannibal had read every book in the library at least twice by now.

The library was nearly half the size of the gymnasium, with plenty of shelves that nearly reached the high leveled ceiling. Stacks upon stacks of books also rested on tables and benches and chairs all placed around the library.

Will did not come to the library often, for it always smelled of rotting wood (probably due to the amount of older books inside it) and he wasn't much of a reader until recently anyway.

Will just never imagined finding Jack and Tobias there along with Hannibal. But Hannibal was known to be very manipulative at times, so this was no real surprise.

But here Will was, his face resting in between two large Human Anatomy textbooks as he spied at the newly formed trio. Jack was sitting back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table top, and Tobias was just glaring at Hannibal, not speaking a word. Most of the discussion was between Hannibal and Jack.

Hannibal sat with a small book open on his lap, but he was engaged in a conversation with Jack.

_"Figures."_ Will watched carefully as Jack began laughing for the billionth time that day and slapped his large heavy hand across Hannibal's back in a comforting move. Hannibal stiffened a bit at the gesture.

Will had heard that Hannibal was not too keen on physical contact. But then again, he didn't look too uncomfortable now...

Will squinted and stepped a bit closer to the bookshelf. He strained his ears to listen as best he could to their conversation, despite the fact that they were at least a minimum of twenty feet away from him.

He wiggled his toes in his shoes as he tried to stand half-crouched to peer at the trio ahead of him. For the most part, it appeared as if it had been any regular boring conversation. Hannibal nodded a few times at Jack while Jack spoke, and then when Jack finished speaking, Hannibal would carry on the topic of conversation in response.

Will began thinking this whole idea was beyond silly, and that he needed to leave. He was going crazy! Stalking Hannibal the way he had been. What was wrong with him? Perhaps Hannibal just wanted to reach out to more people during his final year at the school. That had nothing to do with Will alone.

He was about to shove the two books together and back out from in between the shelves when Will noticed Hannibal's eyes narrow at Jack as if he were suspicious of the boy.

_"What the hell?"_

Will watched as Hannibal leaned forward slowly, motioning with his index finger for Jack to come closer to him.

Jack followed the signal and leaned over the table towards Hannibal. But as he did, Will noticed Hannibal close his eyes and rest his head almost directly on Jack's right shoulder.

_"What the-"_

Hannibal took a deep inhale as he closed his eyes and seemed to be relishing the scent of Crawford.

_"Oh my God...has Hannibal lost it? He's sniffing Jack as if he were a fresh Christmas roast!"_ Will shook his head, thinking he had been imagining the whole scene. He even pinched himself for added affect.

_"He really IS smelling him!"_ Will could only gape as Hannibal practically rested his nose on Jack's shoulder as Jack continued to whisper practically into Hannibal's ear.

_"What're they talking about?!"_ He shoved his head forward to rest on the bookshelf as close as ever.

He barely caught a few words when a large, brown, thin-legged spider descended from the book to Will's right and walked across the shelf, grazing past Will's nose.

Will looked down his nose at the spider in fear. He hated spiders and all insects alike. He hoped the spider would just crawl off onto another book or corner somewhere, and silently prayed that it wouldn't notice him.

However, the spider had other plans in mind. It stopped mid-crawl, and turned to reach out a long, thin leg at Will's nose. It felt around for a little while, closing the gap between its leg and Will's very slowly.

_"No! Please! Go away!"_ Will cried, his eyes hurting from the over-exertion as he crossed his eyes to look at the spider.

The spider paused for a second, as if hearing Will's thoughts.

_"Oh for the love of fuck's sakes! Just go away!"_

The spider watched him carefully, but as if tormenting Will, it slowly crawled onto his nose anyway.

That was when Will lost it. The moment the spider's disgusting leg touched his skin, alerting every nerve in his body, all his hairs stood straight and high into the air in fear. He threw his head back and leapt up from his hiding spot, trying to shake the spider off as best he could without having to touch it.

But shook his head and body too hard, way too quickly, and pushed back against the tall library step ladder used for reaching the books on the highest shelves of the library, and its old rusty wheels rattled against the floor of the library.

_"Shit!"_ Will tried his best to reach out and silence the step ladder, but he tangled one foot in the other and lunged forward. His hands stretched out, grabbing the middle rungs of the ladder for purchase, but he had underestimated his strength.

Will landed roughly against the step ladder, causing it to shift under his weight and force, and it unhinged itself from the top hook of the book shelf, and it swayed back and forth before it leaned left dramatically, and slammed downwards onto the floor with Will on top of it hanging out the side of the book isle. The sound of the old wooden step ladder meeting the hardwood floor of the library sounded like the crackling of a forest fire. Everyone had heard the harsh echo by now.

_"Well now my cover's blown...shit..." _Will thought as almost everyone in the silent library stood from the seats (including Hannibal, Tobias, and Jack) to look at him on the floor on top of the step ladder.

"WILL GRAHAM! LEAVE THE LIBRARY, NOW!" The usually calm librarian's voice bellowed throughout the large library, making the antique chandeliers sway slightly from the ceiling. Will wondered if they would all fall from the ceiling and land on him, hopefully impaling him before he had to face another second of this embarrassment.

A few girls giggled as Will stood shakily to his feet and dusted himself off. He tried to regain some composure but he soon heard Jack whispering to Tobias.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked his friend.

Tobias shrugged, but kept his eyes on Will. "Don't think I wanna know."

Jack turned and whispered something Will could not hear into Hannibal's ear. Hannibal only nodded curtly in response, also watching Will carefully.

Will wondered what sort of bullshit Jack was feeding Hannibal, but he decided he would reflect on that again a little later. He grabbed the step ladder and adjusted it so it stood leaning against the bookshelf in its original place. He turned and faced everyone, offering them an apologetic smile as he gave the ladder a reassuring pat before backing out of the library as quickly as he could before every page in the books in library caught fire from the steam rising from his body in remorse and shame.


	12. Not-So-Merry Little Christmas

**Chapter 12**

Hannibal looked down at the piano keys happily as he played Johann Sebastian Bach's "Aria Da Capo" on his black Steinway Grand Piano on the third floor of his house. Hannibal often enjoyed playing the piano to pass time. It soothed his nerves, and it was always a joy to refine his musical skills.

Although he had ceased taking lessons due to his piano coach dying of an early heart-attack, he still practiced and attempted to learn new pieces every chance he got.

He hummed happily as his fingers skated across the piano keys, the beautiful music flowing around the room, and surrounding only him in a bubble of heavenly sounds.

DING-DONG!

Hannibal paused in his playing. It was as if Loki himself had taken a sharp pin, and burst his peaceful bubble.

He ignored the doorbell, readjusting his wet hair as he continued playing. He had arrived home after class, and taken a long hot bath before he decided to go off and practice his music. He was barely a few notes in when another: DING DONG! rang throughout his large home.

He sighed and got up from the grand piano, tucking the stool forward and closing the piano lid gently. He wiped off with a white clean cloth some dust and his own fingerprints, smirking once at the shiny piano before he descended the stairs towards the front door.

He reached the front door quickly, but paused for a moment and closed his eyes. He inhaled, and breathed in the scent of Will Graham. He smiled, eyes still closed. From the smell of it, Will was angry with him. This would provide for an interesting piece of entertainment, he thought before he opened his eyes and unlocked the door.

Right before him, as clear as daylight, stood an angry, seething Will Graham.

"Good evening, Will. How nice of you to drop by." He smiled formally, and looked Will up and down as if he were sizing up a grand feast before him.

Will did not even bother waiting for Hannibal to invite him inside. He shoved past Hannibal, dropping his schoolbag and coat onto a little table near the door.

Hannibal looked outside for a brief moment, and then as if speaking to the world outside, he said: "Well, come in."

Will waited for Hannibal to close and lock the front door before he glared at him, hands resting on his hips, barely above his worn out brown belt that held his dirty blue jeans up.

Hannibal quirked an eyebrow up. "Will?"

"So what the hell did Jack say about me earlier in the library? I know it was me he was talking about." He snapped, a few snowflakes stained on his shirt due to his lack of care in buttoning up his coat properly.

Hannibal sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair. His red winter sweater usually kept him very snug and warm, but for some reason he felt rather chilled. Perhaps he had stood in front of the door for too long.

"Answer my question, Hannibal." Will hissed. At this point he knew he was being beyond rude, but he could care less. Why should he always be the one having to resort to tip-toeing around Hannibal as if he were walking on eggshells? What was the point of that? After all, Hannibal clearly didn't seem to give a care about Will's feelings. The fact that he had been so sly to offer Will comfort and support the day he found him crouched and beaten by Jack, and then pair it with turning his back on Will and practically throwing questions at him like vicious darts at a dartboard to open will up as one evil surgeon would open up a new founded corpse for examination was just rude and uncalled for. Not to mention the last few days which brought Will nothing but great pain watching Hannibal spend more time with Jack Crawford and Tobias Budge than he had with Will. What else could Hannibal possibly want to do to torment Will any further?!

Hannibal opened his mouth to begin speaking, but closed it right away for one reason or another. Will sighed. "Alright, judging by your response-or lack thereof-I'm going to assume I _was_ the subject of discussion."

"Will-" Hannibal began, but Will held up a hand to interrupt him, and then used the same hand to adjust his glasses on his nose.

"And why were you _smelling_ him?!" Will found he had a difficult time getting the word out.

Hannibal stared silently.

"Do you like him or something?" Will kept asking.

The older boy frowned a little, but was still silent the wall behind him.

"I hope Jack treats you better than he has treated me, you know, without the reward of having a knife in your back as soon as you turn it.

" Hannibal frowned at him more, while he shoved his large, long hands into the pockets of his black track pants. "Do you refer to the same proverbial knife you plunged deeply into my back, Will?" He countered darkly.

Will clenched his fists. "You knew what he did to me-what he _has always_ done to me-yet you ignored all that!"

Hannibal only stared calmly. Will wanted to punch him right in the face for being so bloody damn calm all the time.

"I thought you understood...I thought you were my friend...but now, everywhere I go and everywhere I look, I keep seeing you with Jack and Tobias! So the wolf has finally lain with the sheep, huh?" Will lowered his voice with every other word spoken.

Hannibal jutted out his jaw proudly. "The friendship that we had is over."

Will's breath caught in his chest. Did Hannibal really say what Will thought he heard him say?

"Why are you being this way? I don't understand you!" Will cried out in anguish.

Hannibal sighed. "Will. The day in the recreation room was your chance to trust me. But alas, you failed at that."

Will's eyes widened dramatically, practically covering his glasses. "What do you mean?"

"When I asked you about the true nature of man, I was also going to ask what you see when you look at me. What do you believe about my true nature? I was trying to open up to you."

Will shook his head. "No, _you_ pushed _me_ away!"

"If that is how you feel, Will, then who am I to prove you otherwise?" Hannibal asked calmly looking at the wall behind Will.

Will pointed an accusing finger at Hannibal. "You tricked me! You were never a friend, Hannibal! All this time I revered you! Pretty much wanted to live in your shadow and be just like you! I was truly inspired, I was alive every time someone mentioned your name or your writings! And I _still_ feel alive. You may not appreciate me in the way I appreciate you, and I will accept that. But you taught me more than the ways to appreciate the English language, Hannibal. You taught me to start appreciating life! I cannot ever thank you for that enough."

Hannibal did not say a word. He just stared at Will and stared on and on. His hands had dropped lifelessly, almost, to his sides. He seemed like a statue for the longest time until Will let out a breath.

"That's all I wanted to tell you. I'll show myself out now. Goodbye, Hannibal."

Hannibal barely heard Will walking past him, grabbing his belongings from the table, opening and closing the door. Hannibal turned abruptly once the door clicked shut, and walked slowly, almost a mile per minute, practically, towards the door. He stopped once he was a few inches away from it, and placed his right hand on the door right above his head. He leaned onto the door, resting his forehead onto the cold wood as he closed his eyes and let one, only one single tear run down his cheek from his right eye.

"I refuse to say 'goodbye', Will. Forgive me." He whispered down to the near frozen floorboards of the house, which only seemed to swallow the silent promise up in an instant.

This winter was going to bring much solitude and misery for both Hannibal and Will.

For the entire start of the winter break, Will did nothing but laze about his house all day long. He had finished his homework on the first two days of his winter break, and spent the third and fourth days working on a few poems and essays before he got tired of writing.

He sat in his room for the fifth and sixth day, barely eating anything except cookies, milk, and pretzels.

By the ninth day of his winter break, his adoptive mother had had enough of his reclusive behaviour, and she stormed into his room and threw the door open, resulting in it banging against the wall and the doorknob popped off. But she didn't care. She needed to get her son out of the house before he drove himself insane.

"Will! I've had enough of this. Get up and get dressed! We're going to have a proper family dinner out today, and then around late evening, we're going to the City Hall to go skating on the ice rink. I am _not_ going to take 'no' as an appropriate response."

She helped herself to Will's closet, pulling out a heavy black sweater with thin red stripes running down it vertically, and a clean pair of jeans. She placed them on Will's bed right by his head. "Hurry up. I'll be waiting for you in the car."

Will groaned and tried to go back to bed, but he knew arguing with Bedelia was beyond pointless now. If she said they were going, then they were going.

When Will finally climbed into the passenger seat of his adoptive mother's red SUV and closed the door, he saw her studying him closely.

"What now?" He whined. He didn't know how much more of this he was supposed to take.

"Is it a girl, Will?"

"Huh!?" He asked in shock.

"A girl, Will. You seem to be so moody lately...and you are projecting a lot of pent-up frustrations...is there a girl you are romantically interested in?"

"Oh my god..." Will covered his face with his hands in exhaustion. Sometimes it was a real pain in the neck to have a psychiatrist for a parent. As if Hannibal hadn't psychoanalyzed him enough.

"Oh sweetheart, you can tell me. I'm your mother!" Bedelia soothed, the scent of her wavy blond hair filling the car as she inched closer to her adopted son.

"Just drive, Bedelia. I don't want to discuss this right now."

She sighed but nodded. "Alright, sweetie. Let's go." With that, she pulled her car out of their driveway and onto the snowy roads.

"Will please stop slurping your iced tea like that, people are staring, honey." Bedelia instructed as Will slurped out of his straw. He didn't mean to be obnoxious; he was just trying to drown out all sounds, visions, and thoughts relating to Hannibal Lecter. It seemed however, the harder Will tried to forget Hannibal, the more he thought of the older boy. Life was such a mystery sometimes. Why was it, that when it came to certain topics, like math or chemistry, if you practiced long enough you'd be able to conquer them? But how was it, that for other topics, such as memory and feelings, it was the complete opposite? Where was the logical code he needed to break for finding a solution to that?

"So Will, what does she look like?" Bedelia asked, bringing Will back to the restaurant they were sitting in.

It was a fancy family restaurant called "La Grande Belle". Since it was only three-thirty in the afternoon, many parents with their younger children were currently occupying most of the restaurant. Will didn't really mind kids as a whole, and he was seated with Bedelia at a far right corner, watching a family of four munch happily on a family package of fish and chips.

Bedelia sipped her coffee and watched Will with curiosity. "Can I at least know her name?" She asked gently, as if Will was a lion ready to snap her head off.

"Ha-Alana Bloom." Will quickly corrected himself. It was only because the older boy had been such a pain in his ass that he had nearly spoken his name out loud; nothing else.

"Is she approachable?" Bedelia asked, smiling widely, obviously pleased her son had taken an interest in a member of the opposite gender.

"She's wonderful, really." Will explained.

"She has such a beautiful name."

"Yes, yes she does." Will stirred his straw in his glass, watching the iced tea swirl into a spiral.

"So how did you two meet?" Bedelia asked, finally grabbing the straw from Will's glass.

Will glared at her. "We go to the same school, duh."

Bedelia laughed. "Do you have any classes with her?"

Will nodded. "She has the same gym period I do, but the girls are in separate classes. But I see her sometimes when she is in cheerleading."

"Good." Bedelia reached out and rested a warm, reassuring hand on top of Will's as she smiled lovingly at her adopted son.

Will gave a sloppy half-smile back, and they did not exchange any further words until their meals had arrived and they ate in silence, merely enjoying each other's company.

"Come on Will! The lights are so beautiful!" Bedelia's long blond hair bounced up and down as she raced ahead of Will towards the ice rink in City Hall.

"I'll be there in a sec!" Will called back, taking his time. He walked along the cold sidewalk downtown, pausing to place some loose change in the flute case of a player who was playing "O Holy Night" on his flute under a street light decorated with reindeer shapes and a large Christmas wreath.

He paused for a moment, listening to the player. Christmas wasn't Will's most favourite season, because it often reminded him of how lonely he truly was. But today seemed different...he had formed a new, special bond with Bedelia inside the restaurant today, and he would never forget how warm her hands had been on his. It was the first time Will felt truly at home.

He looked up when he felt a little snowflake drop onto the tip of his nose, and he let out a comfortable laugh as he looked at the dark night sky, littered with thousands of little bright stars all over its vast surface. The snowflakes drifted downward, reflecting gracefully in the street lights, building lights, and car lights that zoomed by on the streets. It was absolutely magnificent to Will.

"Will! Come on sweetie!" Will turned to see Bedelia already putting on her light purple skates on a bench close to the ice rink.

"Wait for me!" He laughed and bolted towards her, pulling out his own dark brown skates from the brown paper bag he carried them in along the way. He plopped onto the bench, and quickly took off his shoes and stuffed them in Bedelia's bag as he hurriedly tied his skates together.

Once Bedelia and Will had their skates on, they wobbled over to the ice rink, careful to avoid the busy crowd that had already formed on the ice rink. Couples and wives and husbands with their children all holding hands were dancing about, some little children tripping and rolling over gently on the ice in their thick snowsuits, causing the parents to chuckle and help their children up. One father grabbed his little girl and swung her carefully above his head and let her sit on his shoulders as he skated around singing to her.

At the far front of the ice rink, there was a little stage set up close to the doors that lead to the inner building where a DJ was seated, wearing a goofy green elf hat with a jingly bell on the side of it hanging down as he played an array of Christmas music that boomed all over the downtown area of large, powerful speakers.

**Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!**  
><strong>Jingle bells swing, and jingle bells ring,<strong>  
><strong>Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun!<strong>  
><strong>Now the jingle hop has begun!<strong>  
><strong>Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! <strong>  
><strong>Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time! <strong>  
><strong>Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square, <strong>  
><strong>In the frosty air!<strong>

Will felt Bedelia grab both of his hands in hers as she laughed like a young girl and gracefully swung around on the ice rink across Will. Will couldn't help but smile back; his adoptive mother's smile and laughter were absolutely a contagious pair. He watched as her hair whipped around in the air, tons of little snowflakes resting in it and making her appear like a gorgeous snow angel.

**What a bright time, it's the right time **  
><strong>To rock the night away!<strong>

Will hummed along with the song, already in a very happy mood.

"You look awesome, Bedelia!" He told her as she blushed and gripped his hands tighter as they skated about, carefully avoiding a few small children who merely sat and shook their tiny bodies with the rhythm and beat of the music.

**Jingle bell time is a swell time, **  
><strong>To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh! <strong>  
><strong>Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet! <strong>  
><strong>Jingle around the clock!<strong>

"Thanks sweetie, you are turning into such a handsome young man, and soon I'll be a withered old hag!" She joked.

Will shook his head. "Never. I think you'll always be this amazing."

Bedelia smiled even more widely and pulled Will in for a tight hug.

**Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet, **  
><strong>That's the jingle bell, <strong>  
><strong>That's the jingle bell, <strong>  
><strong>That's the jingle bell rock!<strong>

The crowd cheered happily once the song was finished, many hands clapping as whistles flew about.

"Hey stranger." Will suddenly whipped around. He knew that voice.

He turned and saw Alana Bloom standing a few feet away from him, wearing a beautiful white winter coat that rested above her thighs, a matching white dress with white stockings that were decorated with silvery sparkly icicles on them, and pearly white skates. She had her hair done up in a ponytail, and her pink lip gloss and baby blue eye shadow seemed to make her face glow in against the Christmas lights and falling snow.

"Wow..." Will murmured. He didn't know what to say. Alana was drop dead gorgeous tonight, and he had no idea he'd run into her.

"So are you going to introduce me, or do I have to stand here posing all night long? Not that I'd object." She laughed gently.

"Uhhh, Bedelia, this is Alana Bloom." He smiled, not taking his eyes off Alana's perfection.

Bedelia gasped and stretched out her hand and shook Alana's. "So _you_ are the bright young lady Will has been talking about all afternoon!" She laughed.

"Holy sh-Bedelia!" Will felt the urge to hide his face. Thank goodness it was a dark night anyway, else he'd die of being seen blushing.

"Awww, Will's always been adorable that way!" Alana giggled as she swayed from side-to-side, her skates slicing across the ice surface like a fish swimming in water.

"Wait, really?" Will asked, just as shocked as ever.

"Really really." Alana answered, blushing also.

"Why don't you two go on ahead and catch up! I'll just have a little rest on the bench." Bedelia excused herself and winked at the young couple before she got off the ice rink.

"I apologize for that, haha, she's just really happy to see me with someone from school outside in the normal world." Will answered, as if Alana had inquired.

Alana shook her head. "It's ok, Will. I'm kinda glad I ran into you tonight."

"Yeah?" Will asked, skating with her side-by-side.

"Yes, I just needed to get out of the house. Cheerleading try-outs have been wearing me out lately."

Will nodded. "I'm struggling with a lot on my mind as well, it's ok Alana. I needed the break too."

"It's strange how a Holiday specifically built for drawing people closer together can often make some people feel so excluded and alone...it's a strange, black comedy of a paradox." Alana spoke as she looked down at her white skates grazing and biting into the ice.

Will looked at her and suddenly felt pity for her. "Oh come on, I'm sure it's not _that_ gloomy and melancholic, Alana...I never fully grasped the concept of these Holidays either, but you are full of life! It shows from miles away, and I really admire that about you."

Alana wrung her hands a bit nervously. "Well, I'm a great actress I guess." Will wanted to reach out and hold Alana so much when he heard this. "Alana, you don't need to cover up and hide from me. I promise."

She smiled and was about to speak when the next song blasted over the large speakers.

**Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting-tingle-ing too! **  
><strong>Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!<strong>

Will and Alana looked at each other the same time and simultaneously burst out in song.

**"Outside the snow is falling and friends are calling, "You Hoo!" **  
><strong>Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you! <strong>  
><strong>Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, let's go, let's look at the show! <strong>  
><strong>We're riding in a wonderland of snow! <strong>  
><strong>Giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up, it's grand, just holding your hand!"<strong>

As soon as this part of the lyrics were sung by both Alana and Will, Alana grabbed Will's hand in her own and looked deep into his eyes.

Will's breath hitched, but he continued singing after a brief second.

**"We're gliding along with a song of a wintery fairy land! **  
><strong>Our cheeks are nice and rosy and comfy cozy are we... <strong>  
><strong>We've snuggled close together like two birds of a feather would be! <strong>  
><strong>Let's take that road before us and sing a chorus or two! <strong>  
><strong>Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"<strong>

Will felt himself growing dizzy, but it was not from the singing, not from the weather, not even from the excitement that had transpired all afternoon. It was because he'd never imagine Alan Bloom to be here with him, singing beautifully along with him while holding onto his hand as they skated faster and faster around each other, forming little ice circles with the skates on the ice rink.

**"There's a birthday party at the home of farmer Gray, **  
><strong>It'll be the perfect ending of a perfect day! <strong>  
><strong>We'll be singing the songs we love to sing without a single stop, <strong>  
><strong>At the fireplace where we'll watch the chestnuts pop, pop, pop, pop! <strong>  
><strong>There's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy! <strong>  
><strong>When they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie! <strong>  
><strong>It'll nearly be like a picture print by Currier and Ives <strong>  
><strong>These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives, <strong>  
><strong>These wonderful things are the things we remember all through our lives!"<strong>

As they skated closer and closer together, Alana wrapped her arms around the back of Will's neck, and pulled his face in close to hers. She gazed at him longingly before finally closing the gap between their lips, and capturing his in her own.

Will gasped but quickly closed his eyes and kissed Alana back, hearing a few people cheer and hoot around them.

Alana's lips felt like heaven against his, and he pressed her body closer to his, never wanting to let her go. This was all but a strange dream-come-true. He had long desired for Alana, but he never thought she would come to like him back and return his feelings. Will smiled into the kiss, feeling his heart beating faster and faster against Alana's warm body.

They pulled apart for air, and rested their foreheads against each other, laughing together happily.

"Alright you two, that's enough." They turned to see Bedelia laughing gently, pointing to her watch on her wrist as it read ten to midnight.

"We'd better get going, Will. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Bloom. You look positively sensational tonight! Hope to have you over some time for a chat!" Bedelia beamed at Alana.

"Sure thing Ms. Maurier. Later, Will." She looked suggestively at Will before turning and skating back to the middle of the ice rink, her beautifully thick dark brown ponytail swinging in the wind back and forth.

Will felt his eyes beginning to water. He couldn't believe he kissed Alana Bloom! He reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone as Bedelia changed back into her winter boots on the bench, and quickly texted Hannibal: **I kissed Alana Bloom.**

He knew he shouldn't have done that, but he needed to share the news with someone, and Will wanted to partly show off in front of Hannibal and regain some sense of his male ego back.

A text message immediately appeared on his screen within seconds. It read: **Well...good on you, Will. H.L.**

Will frowned at the screen. That had definitely _not_ been the response he was looking for.


	13. Hannibal's Past

**Chapter 13**

**WARNING: Condoms get flung around in this chapter! No, that is not a euphemism for something else, they literally get flung around because...well...ugh just read!**

**Cheers**

The rest of Christmas break practically zoomed by way too quickly for Will's liking. Bedelia had gotten Will one pair of new running shoes, Resident Evil 6 for PS3, and new headphones for his IPod.

In return, Will had purchased Bedelia a new coffee mug which read: I Love You, a dozen red and pink roses, and a bath and shower gel and shampoo set. This Christmas had proven to be one that Will actually found himself enjoying, and by the time the first week of January rolled by, he found himself somewhat sad during the New Year to go back to school.

But final exams for the end of the first semester were drawing closer, and Will began studying for them on his first lunch break back at school.

Franklyn eyed him jadedly while eating some marble cake slowly, as Will took notes and read up and down his History textbook, searching for some answer.

"Why are you studying for exams_ now?_ Last I checked they are taking place last week of January." He mumbled, feeling partly envious of Will's studying habits.

"Early bird gets the worm, Franklyn." Will responded, not even looking up from his textbook.

"That's such a stupid expression!" Franklyn groaned as he chewed on more cake.

Will didn't respond as he began focusing on a long paragraph in his textbook. He nearly had most of the content all sorted out, when he heard Franklyn emit a gasp.

Will lowered his pen slightly, eyes still on his work. "Franklyn, I told you to stay off the cake for a few days...don't you think you had enough over the Christmas Holidays?" He was already annoyed and it hadn't even been ten minutes yet.

"No! Look! Alana Bloom's coming over to us!"

Will nearly dropped all his books as he turned his body around, swinging his arms clumsily about the place, earning a: "Hey! Watch it!" from Franklyn.

_"Sweet mother of mercy..."_ Alana Bloom was wearing a mid thigh high short jean skirt with bright red high heels, and a short sleeved light pink sweater that stopped just at her belly button and revealed the creamy skin for everyone to see. Her hair was done in one single braid that fell down her back, while she had on matching dangling red snake (or was it red dragon? Will was not too sure) earrings, with silvery eye shadow and eyeliner on thick and heavy. She looked a billion bucks today.

She stopped at Will and Franklyn's table, drawing at least fifty pairs of eyes with her from males all around the cafeteria. "Hey Will." She said in a soft, flirtatious voice as she stood right next to Will and blushed lightly.

"H-hey to you t-too." Will responded equally as bashful. Franklyn's heavy breathing suddenly interrupted the mini romantic interlude. Both Alana and Will turned to glare at the other boy. He sputtered and coughed for a few moments, then twisted open the lid of his canteen and took a long drink, Adam's apple bobbing up and down greedily as he drank his heart out.

When he finished, he set the canteen down and wiped his mouth with his bare chubby arm. "Sorry! Hehe, nearly choked on some cake there. Name's Franklyn! Franklyn Froideveux!" He stuck out his sweaty hand for Alana to shake.

She looked down at it with seemingly disgusted eyes, but reached out and shook his hand anyway. "Ala-"

"Yes I know. You look fantastic today!" Franklyn gaped as he shook her hand over and over for minutes, his large, thick fingers moving their way up and down and around Alana's, obviously for more than friendly purposes.

Will cleared his throat. "Alana you said you wanted to go for a walk after lunch right?" He looked at her deeply, signalling that he wanted to get away from Franklyn and the rest of the crowd.

She quickly interpreted his meaning and nodded thankfully. "Oh yes! Let's go! It was...nice to meet you, Franklyn." She recoiled and pulled her hand away from his as he kept his eyes on her as if she were a piece of meat he wanted to gobble down within minutes.

"Yeah...you too...hey don't be a stranger! Come by any time!" He called after her.

She flashed him a fake smile, white teeth gleaming in the bright lights. "Oh don't worry, I will, thanks!"

When Will and Alana were out of sight, Franklyn looked around surreptitiously before he raised his left arm, slowly while his eyes searched the cafeteria, and when all was clear, he lowered his face into his armpit and took a deep sniff. He recoiled almost instantly. "Holy shit! I probably should have showered this morning!"

"Yes you should have." A large, strong hand slapped him on the upside of his head. Jack Crawford ran, laughing like an idiot out of the cafeteria as he high-fived Tobias.

"Damn it!" Franklyn called out hopelessly.

Will could barely keep his eyes off Alana as they walked past rows of lockers and classrooms towards the doors that lead to the backyard and school grounds. Alana suddenly stopped and blushed.

"Will, is it ok if I just head in to the washroom to fix my hair and make-up?" She asked gently.

Will nodded. Come to think of he, had to relieve himself too. "Yeah sure! I have to use the washroom too, and the boys' bathroom is right next to the girls' anyway."

Alana giggled and walked into the female washroom just to the left of the hallway and Will watched her go before he headed into the male washroom.

He was barely inside when he was faced with Brian Zeller sitting on top of a turned-over garbage can, blowing air into condoms and trying to fold them into little balloon animals. The condoms wouldn't hold for long, however, and they burst into the air with a loud: POP!, causing the boy to laugh heartily. Jimmy Price stood next to a condom dispenser, handing his partner-in-crime condoms as he tore them out of their packets.

"What the hell are you guys doing?!" Will cried in confusion as he saw Jimmy bash his hands against the condom dispenser machine and a few condoms fell out of it and onto his other open-palmed-hand.

Both boys jumped slightly, but then laughed. "Will! My man William! Always in the right place at the right time!" Jimmy stated proudly as he grinned mischievously at Will.

"You can't have a party without balloons!" Brian giggled hysterically as he swung a blown-up condom around his head like a little child.

Will's jaw dropped open and he squinted in disgust at the boy. "What the?- that is absolutely atrocious, Brian! That's _not_ what those are intended for!"

"No shit, Captain Obvious." Brian barked as he swung the condom around and flung it at Jimmy's face. The condom burst as soon as it touched the other boy's skin, and stuck to Jimmy's face; Brian's saliva holding the condom on the other boy's skin.

"What the bloody _fuck_ man?! What was that for?!" He ripped the exploded condom off his cheek and threw it onto the bathroom floor angrily.

Brian laughed. "You're too serious, dude. Gotta lighten up a little."

"Oh yeah? This light enough for you?" Jimmy grabbed another blown up condom out of Brian's other hand and popped it with his fingernail, and then flicked it at Brian's head.

"Piss off!" Brian tried to duck, but he was too slow, and the wet, burst condom landed in his hair.

"EEEWWW!" He shook his head like a wet dog shook its body to dry off; flinging the condom high into the air, making it land against the wall behind him. All three young boys watched with open mouths as the condom stuck to the cream colored wall briefly with a little: PLIP!, then slid down the wall and fell onto the floor.

"...Dude, the things we could do with tampons..." Brian said out loud.

"Can you guys please leave here? I need to take a piss!" Will yelled in annoyance as he walked over to a urinal and relieved himself anyway. He wasn't going to wait for those basket-cases to leave. He knew they never would, to begin with.

"Woah, calm down Mr. Bossy!" Jimmy held up his hands.

"Get the hell out!" Will barked as he zipped himself back up and headed over to wash his hands carefully. Watching Brian and Jimmy engaged in vile and putrid acts had made him feel as if he were covered in slime and dirt.

"Why don't _you_ get out?" Jimmy retorted back rudely as he kicked a burst condom around on the floor.

"Oh grow the hell up, both of you." Will hissed as he dried his hands with a paper towel, threw it at Jimmy, and then walked toward the bathroom door to exit.

Before he did, as Will passed by, Brian flicked another popped condom at Will's back, and it stuck and clung onto his fuzzy brown sweater.

Alana was already waiting for Will a few feet away from the male washroom as soon as he stepped out. He smiled at her and they turned and walked towards the school doors once more.

Will opened the door for Alana, trying to be ever the gentleman. She thanked him softly and walked in front of him towards the school grounds. She had taken the time to put on a heavy winter jacket and white scarf before she had come out of the washroom, and Will's sweater would hopefully provide him enough warmth for a short walk outside.

Before Will even had the chance to close the doors behind him and catch up to Alana, he was partially-yet gently-shoved over aside.

"Hey!" He yelled angrily. He turned to face his aggressor, and saw Hannibal's long black winter coat breeze past him and forward past Alana towards the parking lot. He walked to his expensive BMW and unlocked it, sliding inside and turning on his engine. He didn't even look at Alana or Will as he pulled his car out of the parking spot he was parked in, and he drove away quickly, smooth black winter tires crunching along the snow and icy grounds.

"What the hell was that for, then?" Will yelled angrily as he walked over to stand beside Alana.

Alana huffed, her breath coming out in steam against the overcast atmosphere. "Leave him. He gets that way sometimes."

Will frowned. "I beg your pardon?" Now his curiosity was peaked.

Alana sighed and walked forward with Will, moving past snow-covered tables and benches, and dead, leaf-less flower pots and flower beds. She circled a large leaf-less oak tree and looked at Will.

"Don't tell anyone else what I am about to tell you, ok?"

Will drew closer to her, and then looked over his shoulder. The parking lot and the rest of the school grounds were empty. "I promise." He vowed.

Alana gave him a half smile. "Hannibal doesn't have any friends." She said simply.

Will snorted. "No surprises there."

"No, that's just the start. I heard that when he was in grade nine at Baltimore State High School, he used to have this friend, a big burly guy three years older than him named Francis Dolarhyde. They were inseparable, practically. Francis pretty much followed Hannibal around like there was no tomorrow, even though he was three years older and in grade twelve."

"Why?" Will asked, looking up briefly for a moment as he saw a large black crow land on a life-less tree nearby. It cawed at them, as if wanting to join in on the conversation.

"Francis had...problems. Aside from suffering from a minor learning disability, he was a little deformed, facially." She said, eyes lowering to the snowy ground beneath them.

Will quirked an eyebrow. "So Hannibal was friends with a zombie, great news."

Alana looked up at him seriously. "Will, I'm being serious. I've seen Dolarhyde's graduation photos in the Yearbook...he looks vicious, and he is! On the night of the grade twelve prom, Dolarhyde asked Hannibal to come over to his house to celebrate their last time together before Dolarhyde moved to another town for work. Hannibal walked to Dolarhyde's house, but when he got there, he saw that the door was already half open. He walked in, and the entire house was dark. He was about to leave because he thought it was a sick joke that Dolarhyde had pulled, and he was almost backing out when he heard someone crying. He ran inside to help, and as he searched the dark empty house, he saw that all the mirrors in the house had been broken...he was starting to panic, but he located where the crying sound was coming from; the basement. He went down as slowly as he could in case the house had already been broken into, and there was a tiny bathroom past the piles of stored old furniture, boxes, and old toys the Dolarhyde family kept in their basement. The bathroom door was shut apparently, but under the door there was a little light. Hannibal knocked a few times and called for Francis, but he only heard crying...the same crying from before. So he pushed open the door, and right in front of him stood Francis. He was looking ahead at his own reflection in the shattered bathroom mirror. But that wasn't all...he had taken a piece of broken glass, and he had sliced open his wrists with it. When Hannibal called out to him gently so he would turn to face him, Francis turned and Hannibal saw that he had also taken a piece of broken mirror glass and used it to slice through his cleft lip and palate-which he had been born with and everyone at school mocked him for-in an attempt to cut it off. When he saw Hannibal, he yelled to Hannibal repeatedly while crying with blood pouring down his wrists and his face: "I AM UGLY! I AM SO VERY UGLY!" He fainted after that and fell onto the bathroom floor. Hannibal called the police and ambulance, and they took Francis away to go live in an orphanage. Hannibal never had any other friends from that day to this."

Will was silent for minutes. So _that's_ why Hannibal had pushed him away! He was afraid of making friends because he blamed himself for what had happened to Francis Dolarhyde!

"What happened to Francis?" Will inquired, shivering mostly from the horrific story rather than the wind and snow.

"No one knows one-hundred-percent, but I heard he was released from the orphanage soon because he spent his entire time there hurting and torturing small animals to vent his anger and pent up frustrations on, and moved back in with his strange mother and father in St. Louis. He was then kicked out again because he hung his sister's cat and broke into a random house at the age of seventeen. He was sent back to the orphanage after those incidents. I have no idea where he is now and what he is doing. And frankly, Will, I don't want to know. Francis Dolarhyde was not just any other kid...he was truly a monster!"

Will nodded. "Strange how Hannibal would choose those types of friends..."

"Well he took pity on Dolarhyde, I think. Francis told Hannibal he had been abused by his grandmother since the age of five. She suffered dementia later, but had to take care of him before because he was abandoned by his own mother." Alana shook violently, though Will was not if it was due to the increasing cold and strong wind, or the life events of Francis Dolarhyde.

A warning bell suddenly rung, echoing like death bells across the school grounds. Every student had approximately five minutes to get ready for the second bell rang, signalling the start of afternoon classes.

"Come on, let's get back inside." Will said, offering Alana a comforting smile.

"Will, just please think about what I said regarding Hannibal and Francis Dolarhyde...just...take care of yourself around Hannibal." She warned.

Will nodded. "Don't worry Alana, Hannibal and I aren't friends anymore."

She smiled slowly. "Good."

She walked up ahead of Will, her footprints littering the clean white snow. Will counted them as he followed behind, when he was jolted upright by his cell phone buzzing in his sweater pocket.

_"What now?"_ He pulled it out and tapped the screen to life. There was a text message in his inbox from Hannibal. Will felt his heart and blood stop beating and flowing. Had Hannibal possibly been around to hear the conversation about Francis Dolarhyde? No...it couldn't be possible! Will saw him drive off with his own two eyes, and so had Alana!

His hand shook has he tried not to drop his cell phone down onto the cement snow-covered school grounds. The text message read: **Please check your entire person before you exit a washroom, Will. You'll never know what you'll find sticking to your back. H.L.**

Will frowned. He didn't understand the text message. Was Hannibal trying to be funny? He looked up from his cell phone and suddenly remembered feeling a little weight onto his back as he walked past Brian after he had used the washroom...that asshole! Brian had flicked a burst, wet condom onto his back! Had Alana seen it?!

Will turned his head around to try and look at his back awkwardly; grasping and grabbing at the spot on his back where he thought the condom was. But he felt nothing.

Had Hannibal picked the condom off Will's back? When? Will closed his eyes and suddenly remembered when Hannibal had slightly and gently brushed him aside before he exited the school doors. He came to realize that Hannibal hadn't pushed him out of a rude, angry act; but he had swiped the burst condom _off_ Will's sweater back!

_"But why would he do that for me?"_ Will wondered.

"Will, hurry up! The second bell is going to go off soon!" Alana called from the school doors, leaving them half open for Will as she took off her white scarf from her neck.

Will smiled at her and put his phone back in his pocket. _"Perhaps the friendship is not over...yet."_


	14. Tip of the Iceberg

**Chapter 14**

"Good afternoon students and staff. This is Principal Prurnell. I hope everyone had a most pleasant winter holiday break, and is ready to begin studying hard for all their final exams. I would like to take a brief moment of your time to remind you all that Baltimore State High School offers the privilege of carrying both male and female hygiene products in all washrooms on all three levels of the school. But need I remind you, these are privileges; not rights, and can be taken away from any student at any time if abused. That is all for now, good luck on exams, everyone!" The intercom on the P.A. system clicked off after that announcement.

The final bell rung, signalling the end of the school day. Immediately after, classroom doors on either sides of the halls on all three levels of the school flung open as students almost climbed on top of each other's heads to rush to their lockers and dress warmly to head home.

Will opened his locker door after fighting with the damn old lock for a few long minutes, and checked his school schedule posted on the inside of the locker door quickly. The sooner he left the school, the better. He didn't want to run into anyone for a long time. What Alana had discussed with him regarding Hannibal and Francis Dolarhyde had left him thinking and perturbed him all during art class. He had been so badly distracted that he had managed to knock over his water can and spill paint filled water all over another student. Luckily the water had mostly gotten all over the desk and floor, but Will was still scolded by his art teacher, Mrs. Wilkins.

Once he was ready, Will buttoned up his winter coat and began walking towards the bus stop. Normally he would jog or run home, but never in the winter. Bedelia had a dentist appointment that day as well, so she couldn't come pick Will up, and with Will's luck, his old van Bedelia had bought him was not working properly.

Will turned on his IPod and put his new headphones on as he whistled along with the song _"Moves Like Jagger"_ by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera.

Will didn't usually listen to many popular songs, but he was trying to get back into a chipper mood and forget most of the conversation he had had with Alana during lunch break.

He didn't realize that Tobias Budge and Jack Crawford were following him until a large, heavy snowball collided with his temple, throwing him face-first into a snow bank on the sidewalk.

"Wooo!" Jack high-fived Tobias as Will shook the snow off his face, coughing and trying to catch his breath while his glasses were covered in water drops.

"My aim is gettin' better, Tobias! Think I'm gonna try out for the basketball team in the spring!" He laughed as he watched Will struggle to pick himself and his headphones out of the snow.

Will barely had time to wipe the water droplets off his glasses when he was yanked up to his feet from the back of his coat collar by Tobias and Jack, and spun abruptly to face both boys.

"Been keeping out of trouble then?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"Chilton isn't here this time to save you." Tobias growled, his teeth clenched together like a wild, rabid wolf.

"Th-that's a-a-alright, d-d-don't need his h-h-help anyway." Will stuttered as he felt snowing melting and the cold water running down the back of his coat and shirt, freezing his skin up in the process.

Jack laughed. "Thinks he's tough!"

Will shook his head. "I d-don't think it."

"Shut up!" Tobias yelled, shaking Will back and forth violently.

"Nah, I wanna hear what the little nerd has to say for himself." Jack said, placing a strong hand over Tobias's.

"Go on, then!" Tobias yelled ferociously.

Will glanced down at both boys as Tobias raised him higher and higher in the air, his winter boots dangling a few inches off the ground.

"I said, I know g-guys like you t-two. I know of your n-n-nature!" As soon as he had said that, Will slid out his tucked in right arm out of the coat sleeve, and rubbed a large ball of snow he had gathered in his hand swiftly from Tobias's face to Jack's. He made sure he rubbed the snow in Jack's eyes pretty roughly, and landed deftly on his feet as Tobias and Jack screamed and let go of him.

Without turning back, Will ran for his life as he snatched up his belongings from the snow bank. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he knew he needed to lose track of Jack and Tobias.

He heard their heavy feet thudding after him as he turned and raced in front of a green traffic light; earning more than ten honks from cars. But that didn't slow Will down. He increased his speed as much as he could, trying to gulp in large mouthfuls of air into his lungs. He still couldn't see properly, but he raced on and on nevertheless.

He approached the end of a small street and was about to turn the left corner when a cyclist suddenly crossed his path.

"WATCH OUT!" Will cried from the bottom of his lungs.

The cyclist slammed on his breaks just in time, and Will managed to raise his body into the air and leap miraculously over the front wheel of the bicycle.

"WILL!" He heard Jack's voice not too far behind him and he knew he needed to press on.

Hurrying down the street, Will looked at the houses zipping by him. He realized that his body had been working on autopilot, and had lead him unconsciously to Hannibal's street. He suddenly recognized the large, fancy houses as he passed by them all; trying to reach one-hundred-eighty-six.

When he finally reached the house, Will threw himself onto Hannibal's front porch and began banging on the front door desperately with both clenched fists. He rang the doorbell three times quickly too before pounding once more on the door.

"Hannibal! Please answer the door! Hannibal!" He cried in fear and panic.

_"Please be home, please be home, oh god, PLEASE be home!"_

As if on cue, the door unlocked and opened to display a shocked Hannibal wearing a grey and light red diamond designed argyle sweater and black sweat pants.

"Will? What's happened?" He asked in a gentle, calm voice.

Will breathed painfully, his sides about to burst from the amount of pain he was in. "J-jack, Tob-b-bias!" Was all he needed to say.

"Come inside, quickly!" Hannibal stepped aside and ushered Will inside before slamming and locking his front door.

_"Saved by Hannibal Lecter. Priceless."_ Will thought as he walked into Hannibal's living room and took off his wet, snowy clothes and placed them in front of the fireplace-that was running, thankfully-on the carpeted floor.

He shivered and held his hands out in front of him a few inches away from the fire.

"Will?" Hannibal asked gently as he stood behind Will, watching the flames dance about in the fireplace.

Will sighed. "Long story short; I messed with them when I wasn't supposed to."

"When are you ever going to learn?" Hannibal sat down gently on an old-fashioned dark forest green couch which matched the forest themed wall paper of the living room.

"Why don't _you_ tell your new _friends_ to leave me alone?" Will answered Hannibal's question with a snappy question of his own.

That shut Hannibal right up and he just sat, eyes piercing Will's back.

The only sound in the room for roughly five minutes was the crackling of the firewood in the fireplace as it burned merrily. It sadly didn't warm up Will's soul or mood, but his fingers felt better and he moved them slowly.

"That feels so damn good." He said out loud.

Hannibal tilted his head and resumed studying Will. "Will, I have some very important news I'd like to share with you, if you'll allow me."

Will didn't even turn to face Hannibal; he only nodded and grunted a response.

"I've been accepted into Johns Hopkins Hospital for a paid position as a part-time medical staff. I can study on the side, as well as continue to conduct my own research in the fields of science and medicine." He stated as if he were dictating what the weather forecast for the rest of the week would turn out to be.

Will slowly spun around, eyes wider than they ever had been so far that day. "What?"

Hannibal rolled his eyes. "I'll be leaving shortly after graduation, Will. I need plenty of time to look for a new area of residence due to the fact that I cannot commute often from the hospital if I am to fulfill all the hours of my work. I need full access to the hospital at all times. You know that."

"I thought you w-were going to medical school?" Will asked, still trying to recover from what he had just heard.

"I will be. I am applying as a part-time student next December. There are openings of course for the January term as well. I just require an extensive amount of time dedicated to practical research." Hannibal explained ever so calmly.

Will gaped at Hannibal like a fish out of water.

"Will, please learn to better compose yourself." Hannibal warned softly, eyes dark and accusatory.

"So when the _hell_ did you do all this on your own?" Will suddenly yelled, standing on both his legs abruptly.

Hannibal followed his movements distinctly with those cold dark eyes. "I applied slightly before November ended. It is a highly competitive program, and spots are limited. Applying early is always recommended."

"And did you for once _second_ think about how _I_ was going to feel?" Will angrily yelled across the room.

Hannibal finally turned his gaze away from Will. "I wish you the best on your future endeavors, Will, and it has been my sincerest pleasure acting as your instructor. I have no doubt in my mind that you'll be successful no matter what you choose to do with your life."

Will laughed in a strained voice. "Oh don't you _dare_ try and lay that pile of rubbish on me!"

Hannibal quirked an eyebrow as he turned back to face Will once more. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't play coy!" Will cried, his hands shaking from anger.

"I assure you, Will, I wasn't. I was merely-"

"So _this_ is how you treat people?", Will interrupted, "just use and discard them whenever they bore your intellect?"

Hannibal frowned slightly. "I haven't done anything remotely close to that, Will. I would appreciate it if you collected yourself and didn't throw about such highly accusatory sentences."

"Don't talk to me as if I'm a moron! I'm not Francis Dolarhyde!" Will's hands clamped tightly over his mouth, but it was already too late. As soon as the name was out of his mouth, Hannibal's face practically paled to the point where Will wondered if he had seen a phantom.

"Hannibal...I'm so sorry, I don't know came over me, I-"

"So you heard." Hannibal ground out slowly and so quietly Will wondered if he had imagined it.

"Look, it's not what you think-"

"Indeed, you are not Mr. Dolarhyde, Will." Hannibal said softly.

Will stood surprised. _"Woah, that's it? He's not going to throw me straight into the fireplace?"_

Hannibal still refused to meet Will's eyes. "There was a time when Francis was something I'd call a friend. But that was a very long time ago. Francis was a terribly lost and shattered boy when I met him. Though he was older than me chronologically, in mind he was as young as a child. I didn't pity him, though. I just felt the need to befriend him. He began to confide in me as he never had anyone else, and I soon realized I was providing a crutch for him. He saw me as a sort of saviour; ready to lift him off the dusty earth and raise him on a godly platform. He believed he was truly lost and disfigured, due to being born with a cleft lip and palate."

Will slowly approached the green couch and sat down next to Hannibal as he spoke.

"I didn't see that whenever I looked at him. On the contrary; I found him to be a very remarkable, talented boy. His destructive nature was entirely out of his control, however. His nature was what fueled his violent outbursts majority of the time."

"Did he ever attack you?" Will asked gently, hoping he wouldn't touch a nerve and get Hannibal to close up the conversation.

Hannibal still didn't look at Will. "Never. Francis despised being labelled, and if anything, that was his ultimate flaw and weakness. While the rest of the doctors and psychiatrists called him a 'sociopath', or a 'psychopath', other classmates and students referred to him as a 'monster', or a 'perverted freak'. I didn't see any of these residing within Francis, and he didn't either, for that matter."

"What did he see himself as, Hannibal?"

Hannibal didn't answer for a long time, and Will was about to repeat his question when Hannibal finally turned his neck a bit and met Will's eyes.

"A god."

It had nearly been eleven thirty P.M. when Hannibal had finally dropped Will off at home. Neither of them had spoken to each other the entire drive back to Will's house. Hannibal had stated simply that he never wanted to discuss Francis Dolarhyde with Will or anyone else ever again, and they had packed Will's clothes before they left silently.

What was worse was the yelling and sentence of a grounding Will had received from Bedelia. He walked off to his room without supper and desert that night.

Will was sitting at his computer desk with his head buried in Shakespeare, trying to cram in some studies before bed. His dogs sat on and around his bed with their little heads resting on their paws, their eyes shining in the dark as they stared curiously at their owner.

Will was about to call it a night when he suddenly had a wonderful idea. He slammed _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ shut, and turned on his desktop computer. His dog pals began sitting up a little and panting happily, as they observed their best friend and owner springing to life for the first time that night.

Once his computer was on and ready to go, he quickly pulled Baltimore State High School's webpage open, and typed in a few key words into the "search" bar and clicked "enter".

After a few minutes of searching, a sly grin spread across Will's handsome young face and he whispered: "Found you."


	15. Health and Human Sexuality 101

**Chapter 15**

**_One Month Later_**

"Will! The final exam grades have been posted! Come see!" Franklyn's over-excited voice called over to Will as they stood in the middle of the Student Guidance Office in front of the line-up before the secretary's desk to collect their new timetables for the second semester at Baltimore State High School.

"Be there in a bit, Franklyn!" Will called. Since the timetables had been handed out according to alphabetic order of last names, Franklyn had received his timetable before Will had.

"Graham, Will!" The secretary called as she held out Will's new timetable.

"Here!" Will pushed aside a younger student gently and grabbed his timetable from the bored-looking secretary.

"Heller, Mary!" She called as soon as Will walked away.

Will looked down excitedly at his new timetable, and groaned right away. First period he had Health and Human Sexuality with Mr. Krendler. Apparently he was teaching both Fitness as well as Health and Human Sexuality this term. Second period he had Physics with Mr. Braun; a newly added teacher who had a short temper, according to rumors. Third period was Creative Writing with Mr. Gideon. Lunch next. Fourth period was Geography with Mrs. Watkins, a close-to-retirement-aged teacher with a warm Mrs. Claus-type smile, and lastly fifth period was drama and performance studies with a young student-teacher who had recently graduated from teacher's college named Clarice Starling.

Will finally reached where Franklyn was reading the final exam marks posted on a bulletin board on the opposite side of the entrance to the Student Guidance Office. A few other students were huddled around and behind him, all looking to view their grades.

"And the verdict is?" Will playfully asked.

"I got above a fifty-percent on everything!" Franklyn cheered happily.

Will smiled and pet Franklyn on the back. "Good work! You passed everything then!"

"You did better than I did, though." Franklyn stated enviously.

Will looked up and searched until he found 'G', and located his name among the large column of the rest of the students whose last names began with the letter 'G'.

Not surprisingly, Will's highest grade had been awarded in Mr. Gideon's English Literature class, with a ninety-seven-percent. In fitness he had received a ninety-one, art an eighty-eight, biology a ninety, and math an eighty-five.

Will quickly pulled out his cell phone and photographed his grades to show Bedelia before report cards came out in another few weeks. He was simply too excited.

"So Hannibal really helped you with that grade, huh?" Franklyn said obviously.

Will nodded, his smile shrinking on his face as soon as Franklyn had brought up Hannibal's name. During the month of exams, Will had successfully stopped thinking about Hannibal, and he wanted to keep it that way for the rest of the new semester. Apparently Franklyn ruined it, though.

"So do we have any classes together?" Franklyn asked.

Before Will could compare their timetables, the staff room door just a few meters down the hall to the right of them opened, and Mr. Gideon walked out carrying his brown briefcase and a pile of sheets of paper in his hands. He already appeared very tired; dark circles under his eyes, his greying goatee appearing shabby, his light blond hair waving about the place, and his light blue work shirt half tucked out from his black dress pants. He stopped when he saw Will and Franklyn.

Smiling like the very devil, he walked over proudly to Will and shook his hand after he set down his briefcase and shifted the papers to his less dominant hand. "Will Graham, I just wanted to say job well done on receiving that ninety-seven in my course! Well done lad! I look forward to seeing you in my Creative Writing course today. I am more than confident you'll pass this course with flying colors too!"

"Thanks Mr. Gideon, I can't wait!" Will smiled back proudly.

Mr. Gideon smiled at Franklyn quickly too before heading off down the hall and nearly running a few students over.

"So what classes do we have together?" Franklyn brought up again as he pulled his timetable out in front of Will.

Will grabbed it and looked it up and down a few times before announcing: "We have Health and Human Sexuality together only, Franklyn."

Franklyn looked a bit sad at this. "Crap! I was hoping we'd get to hang out more."

Will smiled. "Well we also have lunch break together again."

"YES!" Franklyn cried out as he leapt a few feet into the air and did a small fist-pump. A few students, including Will, laughed out loud.

The first bell rang suddenly and Will turned to head towards their scheduled classroom. "Come on Franklyn."

"Hey it's not so bad right? I even heard Zeller and Price have Health and Human Sexuality first period too!"

_"...Well I WAS having a good day until you mentioned that!"_ Will resisted the urge to face-palm.

"Welcome to Health and Human Sexuality you bunch of horny sons of bitches!" Mr. Krendler practically screamed at his large class of thirty-three boys. Once again, the boys had been separated from the girls as part of the school's policies and regulations.

"Isn't this just simply the _best_," he paused to emphasize the word as he slammed his clenched fist against Jack's desk, waking him up as he had sat up front and snored away in the classroom. A few other students jumped slightly and straightened up, "time to conduct this class?" he finished happily.

No one said a word.

"Glad you all agree!"

Will and Franklyn looked at each other at the same time, both wearing confused expressions on their faces.

Mr. Krendler walked up and down the desk isles, looking down at his students as he pulled up his orange Nike gym shorts slightly; his whistle hanging on his neck, even though he was not allowed to use it except inside the gymnasium.

"Now then! Why not start off our first class together with a free question and answer period? Everyone pull out a scrap piece of paper and write down at least two questions you've always wanted answered about either STDs, sexuality, love, relationships, or health and fitness and I will come and collect them in my gym bag here."

The students groaned but did as he said and pulled out their pens and pencils as they wrote down their questions, and the less prepared students waited to receive extra paper from the more prepared ones.

After seven minutes Mr. Krendler came by to collect the papers.

"No need to be shy! I won't ask for names on the papers, so ask away! Ask away!"

Will dropped his folded piece of paper along with Franklyn's in the gym bag when Mr. Krendler walked past them.

"This is going to be so damn boring." Franklyn grumbled, his hand resting on his chin as he struggled to sit up straight.

Will shrugged.

"Hush it up!" Mr. Krendler warned as he walked towards the front of the room with his bag full. He propped himself on top of the desk and snuck his hand in the bag and pulled out one piece of paper and unfolded it.

Will looked ahead at the front of the room and directly into the back of Jack Crawford's head. He was not so surprised he had landed yet another class with Jack, but luckily, Tobias Budge was not in this class.

_"One less Neanderthal to deal with, I guess."_

Suddenly the classroom door opened and a very intoxicated looking Jimmy Price and Brian Zeller walked in the room and took their seats next to Will and Franklyn.

"Boys! Why are we late and looking like we ran into a train?!" Mr. Krendler barked the question.

"The train missed us." Brian supplied.

The rest of the class laughed as Jimmy prodded his friend with his elbow.

"Shut it!" Mr. Krendler yelled, silencing the class at once.

"We carpool together and the car ran out of gas. Scout's truth." Jimmy explained carefully.

Mr. Krendler rolled his eyes and sighed but didn't say anything as he looked over at Will.

"Graham! Give Price and Zeller a piece of paper and a pen so they can write their questions."

Will quickly complied and explained what the activity was to Jimmy and Brian. Once they had added their pages to the bag, Mr. Krendler walked to the front of the room again and sat down on top of his large desk.

"Question one! Does eating more junk food lower your sperm count? Good question. Now I have heard this rumor many times before that some guys think chowing down on the junk food is a great way to cut back on healthy sperm and a short cut to birth control. But that is what it basically is: A rumor, and I cannot stress that enough," he went on and on and Will zoned out of Mr. Krendler's lecture as he stared at Brian Zeller as the other boy reached into his desk and pulled out a little red and black flame designed lighter and held it against the untouched part of his paper.

Will leaned towards him carefully. "What are you doing?!"

Brian looked over at Will and grinned. "Conducting a little experiment of my own, bro."

"...always remember to take good care of yourself though, because although being over-weight does lower your sperm count, it is still not a safe guaranteed method of birth control...",

Will glared at Brian. _"_What_ experiment?"_

"...I mean being fat isn't simply going to cut it,"

Brian Zeller snickered. "You'll see. It's a great discovery in medical science that I can't discuss with you yet. It's a secret."

"...so that's why you have to have a healthy balanced diet and a healthy exercise plan in mind always, and safe sex is your best bet."

"You're going to set off the fucking fire alarm!" Will warned as he watched a little flame ignite the paper for a few seconds, turning it dark brown, before Brian snapped the lighter lid shut.

"No I won't." Brian whispered back through his teeth as he shook his lighter a few times inside the desk quietly.

"Next question!" Mr. Krendler reached into the bag again.

"Zeller, _stop it_." Will warned in a whisper as he slid his hand under his desk, over next to the inside of Zeller's desk, and tried to make a quick grab for the lighter.

"Mr. Krendler, is it gay if you try and suck your own dick...who wrote this question?" Mr. Krendler looked up from the piece of paper in disappointment as he faced his students.

"Make me!" Brian whispered back at Will as he felt Will's hands grasping the lighter.

"Can someone tell me who is responsible for this question?" His voice grew more stern.

"Will! What are you doing?" Jimmy suddenly piped up, his eyes showing slight amusement in the festivities going on.

"What does it look like, genius?" Will grunted slightly as he rested one elbow tightly on his desk, his left leg wrapped around the desk legs in order to prevent the desk from moving and scraping across the floor and making noise while he took the lighter and paper away from Brian.

"Am I going to have to give you all detention?!"

Jimmy snorted. "Looks like you're trying to give Zeller a hand job under the desk."

"Haha! It kind of does!" Franklyn giggled as he had been watching the trio the entire time.

Will ground his teeth together and glared at Jimmy. "Stop being such an over-grown pervert for once!"

"No, seriously, I want to know! Who wrote this question?"

"You're the pervert; gasping and panting over there tryin' to touch Zeller's goods." Jimmy growled under his breath.

"He's trying to set the entire room on fire!" Will hissed and made a second grab for the lighter.

"Sweet shit! Let him!" Jimmy said as his eyes brightly shined.

"Come on then! If you had the balls to write it on here, you can muster up the balls to tell me to my face!"

"Whatever for?!" Will inquired, though he didn't want to know, truly.

"Alright, if no one is going to man-up and give me an answer, I'll just pick another question." Mr. Krendler threw away the scrap piece of paper and grabbed his gym bag once again.

"Dude, class will be cancelled for the rest of the day!" Jimmy whispered back and began biting the cap of his blue ink ball-point pen as he watched Will's face turning slightly red as he kept tugging at the paper while trying not to give his position away in front of their teacher.

"Yeah, you'd like that." Will stated as if he had known all along.

"Stop!" Zeller cried out a bit louder as Will nearly pulled the lighter and paper away from him. But he was quick to hang on to it tightly and fight back in a tug-of-war fashion as he planted the bottom of his feet firmly on the classroom floor and tried not to move a muscle.

"Third question! Mr. Krendler, is it gay to wonder what your own semen tastes like...alright! Knock off the bullshit! Just _who_ exactly is responsible for submitting these questions?!" Mr. Krendler's face was by now livid with anger. His dark brown eyebrows were tightly set on his forehead as he searched the room.

Will watched as Brian flicked his lighter once more. He immediately smelled some smoke within the desk, stirring stronger by the second. Soon it would be all over the room.

"Could somebody just answer me truthfully so we can laugh it off and then move on to more adult-like questions?"

Will took a deep breath and dove to the side for the lighter. But Jimmy stuck out his leg in hopes of stopping him, and Will tripped over the outstretched foot, landing right on top of Brian awkwardly, and sending both boys tumbling and crashing to the floor with a loud BANG!

"ZELLER! GRAHAM! DETENTION!" Mr. Krendler finally lost all control.

Will groaned and shook his head as the sound of laughter flooded his ears. He looked and saw two broken pieces of the metal chair under his leg, and the other two still oddly attached to the bottom of the chair, which was flipped over with the seating part covering Brian's head. Their limbs were entangled; Brian's legs resting under Will's chin, while Will's hands were splayed widely on either side of him on the classroom floor, his glasses half on half off his face. The lighter was a few feet away from Brian's hand, and the paper was underneath his chest.

"You can't stay mad at them, Mr. Krendler. We all get a little bi-curious sometime," Jack said, and then looked at the little lighter on the classroom floor and continued, "...Will just wanted to light the fires of passion with Zeller, and the guy fell for him." He finished loudly, causing the rest of the class to erupt in laughter louder than the previous round.

_"I wish I stayed home today."_ Will thought as he covered his face with his schoolbag.


	16. Detention Death Row

**Chapter 16 **

**Clarice Starling appears in this chapter! *Jodie Foster's portrayal because she was my favourite* Enjoy and R&R!**

_"I'm going to kill him. I'm seriously going to brutally slay Brian fucking Zeller."_ Will's thoughts growled as he sat next to Brian Zeller outside an old classroom which was known as: Room 243: Detention Death Row (nicknamed cleverly by the students).

The old classroom had once been an automobile repair classroom, but due to the lack of interest from the students in taking the course, after a few years the course was taken away from the school's curriculum and ever since was reserved as a detention room. The room was always jam packed, fitting at least forty-five students at a time and that number increased over the years so much that a few tables and desks had been placed out into the hall reserved for those serving detention. Today was such a busy day as that; with over fifty students in total serving detention.

Will and Brian sat outside the classroom with seven other boys Will had a few classes with, but never bothered to learn the names of. He just knew they were all nothing but trouble, and never cared to associate with them.

He waited with Brian as the detention monitor walked past each student in the classroom and eventually moved on to the ones outside sitting on the benches in the hall, passing out pink colored detention forms. Students in detention were required to fill out the forms, which consisted of stupid questions such as: Student Name, Student I.D. Number, Student Date of Birth, Student's first spoken language, Student's Guardian and Parent names, Student Phone Number, Student E-mail address, and Reason for Detention. But the back of the pink sheet was the most important bit, and the sole reason why the room was nicknamed Detention Death Row; for only the back side of the pink sheet would decide what the sentence the student in question would have to carry out. Since that was the one true moment of decision, all students serving detention would fill the back side of the form at the same time, causing a long wait as the detention monitor read their answers and played judge and jury. At the back of the pink form was a little section with the question: How do you plan on working towards academic betterment and less detentions in the future? It was optional but many students stated that if you filled it out, the detention monitor would read it, and if they approved of the answer provided, they would sometimes cut students a break and let them out of detention earlier.

Will didn't know how true that rumor was, though, because he had seen many repeat offenders serving detention in the hall outside of room 243 whenever he had walked past the room during grade nine and ten.

Normally students had to serve detention for one entire class period, which went for approximately seventy-five minutes long. Will was more than eager to fill out the back of the pink form first and foremost.

The detention monitor, a gothic-looking twelfth grader with purple eye shadow, black lipstick and black fingernail polish eventually passed by Will and Brian, letting the pink forms flutter down to the cool surface of the light brown bench as she looked somewhere outside a window longingly.

"Fill this out as best you can and hand it in to me when you're finished." She sighed dramatically, running a hand through her black hair as she dragged her black combat boots with neon green laces across the floor.

Will was about to start writing when Brian's hand deftly snatched his pen out from his grasp.

"Hey!" Will cried, but lowered his voice immediately when half the other students on detention death row stuck their heads out of the classroom door curiously.

"Sorry dude, gonna have to wait your turn." Brian stated, shaking his head back and forth in a mocking manner.

Will was about to stab him in the throat with the pen when a voice called out to them.

"Will? Brian?"

"Oh great..." Will sighed when he realized whom the voice belonged to.

Freddy Lounds poked her head out of classroom 245 and ran towards both boys. The rest of the guys on the bench grinned and whistled at her in appreciation. Freddy was wearing a black and white striped vest with leather black hand gloves covering her entire arms, with simple grey dress pants and short black high heeled boots. By far, this was her most normal, and most sane outfit.

Her heels clicked towards Will and Brian, and as she drew closer, Will saw she was wearing little black cat dangling earrings.

_"I don't know whether to coo, or to vomit."_

"H-hey Freddy." Brian said shyly as he looked up at Freddy.

She narrowed her eyes into dangerous slits at him. "Don't want to talk to those who associate with liars!" She said angrily.

"Woah, come on, you gotta be a little fair. I did nothing to encourage Jimmy in his lies." He explained logically and truthfully.

Freddy thought for a second before nodding slowly. "This is true."

"What do you want, Lounds?" Will asked, cutting to the chase.

She smiled, flashing her white teeth at him before flipping her red hair playfully. "Silly Willy! How could you forget so easily?"

"Don't call me that. Forget what?" He asked in annoyance. He was ready to snap any second now if she didn't answer him properly.

"Our interview for my article on the school's student safety policy!" She stated as if it were as easy as knowing the answer to what one plus one was.

Will rolled his eyes dramatically. "Yes, Freddy. I remember now."

"Can I help with the article?" Brian suddenly asked, causing both Freddy and Will to look at him.

"You-you want to help me?" Freddy asked, her pink lip glossed lips open in the shape of an "O".

Brian looked dead serious as he nodded one firm nod and said: "Yes, I do."

_"And so the ship sails."_ Will thought, observing the growing attraction between Freddy Lounds and Brian Zeller.

"Are you into writing?" She asked as she walked a little closer to him, but still careful of her distance.

"I'll be very honest with you: I'm not the world's best writer, but I'm dedicated to anything once I start it. I will do whatever I can to work with you and make sure you're more than satisfied with the end result." He explained for her clearly as if he was being interviewed for the job of his lifetime.

Freddy smiled fully, finally closing the distance between herself and Brian and sat down beside him, completely ignoring Will.

_"That's it Brian! Keep her occupied!"_ Will mentally goaded.

"So do you have any idea of where you'd like to start forming ideas from?" She asked as she rested both glove covered hands on her pale chin and looked deeply into the eyes of Brian Zeller.

Will spied his pen, long forgotten near the very end of Brian's left elbow. Brian luckily had his back turned entirely to Will as he spoke to Freddy intently.

"Well are you straight up reporting? Or are you presenting a persuasive argument?"

Will nearly froze and fell over the bench seat in shock. How was it possible that Brian even knew that word, let alone knew what context to use it in?!

Freddy sighed in a dreamy tone of voice. "Oh I can be _so_ persuasive...but I think if I use both tactics, I'll be able to win over my audience!"

"I couldn't agree more; stating the facts is great, but you need to tie up all loose ends and send out a message." Brian said as he looked deeply into her eyes.

_"Come here, stupid pen!"_ Will slowly inched over to his pen, and soon his fingers were literally inches away from holding it in his hands and getting the back side of the detention form over and done with. He too could be as persuasive as he wanted to be.

"Alright I have a little notebook here, let's jot down ideas!" Freddy cried enthusiastically as she pulled out a little fuzzy covered black notebook from the pocket of her dress pants.

"You bet!" Zeller cried. He turned over as fast as lightning hitting the ground, and snatched Will's pen away once more.

"Thanks Will!" He yelled over his shoulder as he handed the pen to Freddy Lounds.

_"Ok, I REALLY wish I stayed home today."_ Will slid further into his seat at the bench, lightly banging his forehead in anger and depression against the cold surface of the wooden bench over and over again until the spot grew sore.

By the time detention ended, Will was far too exhausted and drained to pay close attention to the rest of his courses. Luckily, due to the fact that it was only the first day of second semester, none of Will's other teachers had assigned him homework.

Will looked at his timetable carefully as he read that his drama class would be taking place behind the large stage in the theater in Baltimore State High School. Normally, all drama classes were held in a regular classroom, but Clarice Starling was a new teacher and her previous period students had already explained around at lunch break that she was very "cool" and "innovative" in her teaching approach. They went on to say that she wanted her students to really immerse themselves in the dramatic arts, and would best be able to do so if they were placed in the proper environment. Apparently she had presented such a strong argument that the school board had allowed her to move her classes to backstage in the large theater located on the first floor of the school.

He had finally reached the theater. The big metal gate-like doors were wide open, a little wooden door stopper slid carefully underneath it, as if welcoming students already.

"Seems welcoming enough..." Will said to himself as he walked past the doors and looked at the rows of red cushiony fold-up seats the theater provided. The theater could seat the entire school's population. A little balcony was also placed high in the air, providing an extra thirty seats. Students were normally never allowed to sit at the balcony during the drama club's plays, and neither were parents and guardians, for that matter. Will often wondered why the school had that balcony to begin with, if no one was allowed to go up there.

Only the custodians had access to the keys that opened the doors located to the far right side of the theater down the hall that lead up to the balcony.

Will figured it was probably there for show only; not regular use.

Both sides of the wide stage were decorated with artistic posters mounted on the sides and winding across the top of the stage lights, most of the art painted and created by students. The stage lights were lit today, but the color filters were shut off as they simply hung down from the ceiling.

The red stage curtains had been pulled back today, and as Will walked closer to the stage, he finally saw his drama class of twenty students sitting up on the clean, shiny black floor of the stage. The students were in a very good mood; most of them laughing, listening to music, some lying down on their stomachs or backs, engaged in light chat, while others had their phones out and were texting or talking away on the devices.

There was an overall care-free attitude in the large theater, and it made Will relax within seconds.

As soon as Will had thrown his schoolbag on the stage and hoisted himself up, their teacher, Clarice Starling entered the stage from stage-left.

"Hello everyone!" She saluted cheerfully. Clarice Starling was in her late twenties, with short dark brown hair that hung slightly past her chin and almost rested on the top of her shoulders. She had light blue eyes that bore within them a sense of innocence and playful youth, and full red lips. She was of medium height, and was very well in shape. She wore a long green lacy dress with yellow sunflower designs all over it right to the bottom, with sky blue flats that seemed to fit her shapely feet comfortably.

She pulled out an old wooden chair from behind one of the many curtains and sat down in front of the small group.

"Could everyone please gather around and sit in a circle around me?" Her voice had an accent to it, though Will had a hard time telling what kind of accent it was.

The class hurriedly did as she instructed because of her sweet nature. Will felt compelled to trust and listen to Clarice right away. He really liked her immediately.

"Thanks guys." She smiled warmly and folded her hands in her lap.

"My name is Clarice Starling, but I want you all to call me Clarice. Miss Starling sounds too serious for me!"

The class laughed along with her.

"And it sounds like a bird!" She added, laughing gently.

Will smiled happily, feeling the positive mood that radiated off of Clarice affecting him deeply. He could be in this class for hours and not grow bored.

"I don't need to explain to y'all what class you're in." She explained, looking around at each and every student.

"You mean this _isn't_ advanced calculus?!" A tenth grade student by the name of Joey Sanders cried out in a joking tone of voice.

Will expected Clarice to at least send a little frown in Joey's direction due to his sudden interrupting, but Clarice only smiled and laughed.

"No Joey, I'm afraid this isn't calculus, kiddo!" She began tapping her knees with her hands.

The room went silent after a few moments. Clarice's smile slowly disappeared, and was replaced with a very gentle, contemplative look.

"I want everyone to just take a few moments of time and close their eyes. Lie down in whatever way makes you most comfortable, and close your eyes."

As if under hypnosis, the class silently obeyed Clarice in an orderly fashion, each student lying down and closing their eyes; some students using their bags and coats as pillows and blankets as they laid out on the stage as still as a rock.

Clarice paused, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "I want you all to imagine a tree. Doesn't have to be a special kind, but imagine a large tree with plenty of fresh fruits growing on its branches. You are sitting directly under this tree. A few feet away from you is a small body of water, and you are so close to it that every time you inhale, you take in a part of that water with you. The cleanliness, the freshness, the life of the water as it runs downstream and calls out to you as each stream delicately graces over and glides along smooth shiny dark and grey rocks hiding on the bottom. You can feel the wind caressing your face, and the light of the sun adorning you; almost worshipping you. Nothing and no one can challenge you in this special place, at this special moment in time. You own the lands under your feet. You are Kings and Queens of your own minds. You know exactly how to exert your power and strength in order to make a difference and aid the lands you own to grow and flourish. You can all open your eyes, now."

The students sat up, whispering in awe as some of them rubbed their eyes and blinked at Clarice as if she were an angel sent down from the heavenly kingdoms to bless them.

"That feeling you all just felt now? I don't want you to give it a name. I can't be defined so easily, and I don't care for a label. For when we are so quick to label something or someone, we carelessly set up foundations and expectations. Sometimes, those expectations are more than others can handle or bear, and we end up badly hurting one another. This is how a lot of friendships and relationships are torn apart and damaged. I want to try and teach and inform you that there are better ways of building social relationships with each other that doesn't have to include labels and objectifying people. I believe in taking a very humane approach that seeks to destroy those walls and labels we subconsciously create in order to be more inclusive."

_"It's official. Clarice Starling is the world's greatest teacher."_ Will thought fondly as he straightened his posture and focused all his attention on his new teacher.

"And that feeling we just shared? That's what I want you to work with and use to your positive advantage throughout the semester. Acting is just a symbol for a socially constructed term we coined and assigned to a particular activity we share with others. I want us chip away at those terms and symbols until they are flayed to the raw nerve and absolutely meaningless. I want us to understand that we're doing more than merely acting, here. Every time we gather together as a group in this theater, on this stage, under these lights, we are not creating drama or acting. That is just a guise; a means to an end, really. But what we're creating is something much more unique and beautiful."

"Clarice? What _are_ we creating?" Will asked boldly, causing every student in the room to look at him, as if they all had the same question in mind.

Clarice smiled her most appealing, warm smile of the day and sat forward in her chair, gathering her elbows together to rest on her kneecaps as she looked Will eye-to-eye level. "There is no label for it."


	17. Emotional Confrontations

**Chapter 17**

As the first two weeks of classes fly by in second semester, Will observed Hannibal still associating and spending time with Jack Crawford. Will wondered where in Hannibal's schedule he had found the time to study how to successfully be a traitor among his regular school subjects.

_"Jack of all trades..."_ Will laughed in his mind as he couldn't believe how foolish he had been once upon a time to allow himself to fall for the charms of Hannibal Lecter.

Will internally debated with himself as he exited the back doors of the school that lead to the large parking lot as he waited for Bedelia to come pick him up after school. Today had been a slightly warmer day than usual, and the sun was out quite high and bright for this time of day.

Most of the other students had already either bused home or had their parents come pick them up. The school was pretty much vacant, so Will had the perfect chance to sit down and relax on one of the small benches in the forum of the school.

The lights and vents above him buzzed about, as if happily rejoicing over the now empty school.

Will was about to turn on his IPod and just listen to some songs in peace when he felt a presence next to him. He turned his head and gasped as he saw Beverly Katz sitting next to him, facing the parking lot and school grounds beyond the school doors.

"I love winter." She announced randomly.

"Uhhh..." Will muttered unintelligibly.

"All that snow lying around. So white. So pure..." At this point Will had already caught onto the meaning behind her words.

"What have I done to piss you off _now_, Beverly?" He growled.

She shrugged almost playfully. "Ever the snake charmer, aren't you, Will?" She asked in a biting tone of voice.

"Oh screw you! I don't get what you've got against Alana! She's a sweet girl and I like her very much!" He slammed his hand down onto the bench on the space between their bodies, hoping to scare her away.

Beverly smiled, but it was not a warm, welcoming smile. "Then I'm afraid it's already too late for you, Will."

Will didn't say anything, but continued to stare her down, eyebrows knit together tightly.

"Have a great day, Will." She said simply and stood as soon as she heard a yellow H3 Hummer honk from behind the glass doors in the middle of the parking lot. Beverly's ride was here.

Will only used his eyes to poke symbolic holes in her back as she walked away, making sure to put on a purple winter tuque before she exited the school.

_"The whole school has gone insane."_ He concluded to himself as he pulled out his IPod's headphones.

Will sighed sadly when he noticed the seams of the headphones were in a huge ball of knots and twists. _"HOW does THAT happen in my pocket?!"_ He began slowly untangling the seams as he shook his head angrily.

_"Seriously, the nerve of Beverly! I've hung out with Alana for weeks now, and she keeps getting me to like her more and more with each passing minute! I see and feel nothing wrong when I'm with Alana..."_

Will had undone at least two knots as he thought about the last few weeks with Alana. He gave himself a dopey grin.

_"Maybe Beverly sees how happy I am with Alana...maybe she's jealous...maybe Beverly likes ME!"_ He yanked a seam particularly roughly as he felt a little grossed out by the idea of the older science whiz taking a liking to him.

_"I don't care if she likes me or hates me forever. I don't want anything to do with Beverly Katz. If she were really a divine, holy example of a human, she'd just be happy for me and Alana; not jealous like a five year old not getting the first piece of cake."_

A loud HONK! coming from the school's parking lot shook Will out of his deep thoughts. He hadn't even untangled half of the seams.

He looked up and saw Bedelia's clean car outside, windshield wipers moving across the windshield slowly as little bits of light drizzle came down from the sky above.

Will shoved his IPod and headphones in his coat pocket and ran out as quickly as he could, carefully and deftly avoiding most of the ice cold drizzle drops and opening the passenger door of Bedelia's car, throwing his schoolbag onto the floor in between his feet.

"Hey Bedelia!" He cried happily, rubbing his gloved hands together to create a little heat while he waited for most of the heat in the car to blast him smoothly in the face as the vents were turned to him.

Not a peep came out of Bedelia.

Will turned over to look at his foster mother in confusion. Was something wrong?

Bedelia was doing nothing but grasping the steering wheel in her dark leather gloves, eyes looking out the front windshield, past the wipers, and past the parking lot.

Will looked around in the same direction, trying to locate what it was his foster mother was looking at.

"Bedelia?" He asked gently.

Bedelia's eyes were stony and lacked emotion. Then as if waking up from a trance, she turned to her side, and changed the car gear and put it in reverse. She checked her mirrors only with her eyes as she clearly and carefully pulled out and exited the parking lot.

Will reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" He inquired softly.

Bedelia still did not look at her adopted son as she drove down the street and stopped at the red light at the intersection. While the car kept grumbling and the heat was going, she reached into the back seat behind her front seat and pulled out a medium sized white envelope.

"This arrived in the mail this morning. I usually never check the mailbox, but I'm partially glad I did today."

Will peered at the white envelope as Bedelia held it up in front of him. It had his own name printed neatly on the front, and the address it had been sent from was UMBC, the University of Maryland of Baltimore County. It was a large public University.

Bedelia set the envelope on Will's lap. The envelope already had been carefully opened and viewed.

Will held it in his hands and pulled the contents of it out and unfolded them as he silently read them. "You went through my mail?"

"It's an acceptance letter and scholarship." Bedelia responded to Will's spoken question.

Will set the envelope and pages down and looked on at the intersection lights change green.

Bedelia applied the gas as she drove forward slowly. A few cars behind her honked and pulled up ahead of her so they could speed on forward.

"Umm, Bedelia, the maximum speed limit_ is_ fifty...you can drive a bit faster..." Will said simply.

"I thought you were going to be attending Baltimore State High until grade twelve, Will." She calmly asked instead of questioned.

Will decided there was no time like the present to explain the situation.

"Bedelia...I applied for a program that allows you to skip forward from High School to a University. I downloaded the application form from the school's website, and because I have over a ninety-percent average, I was accepted right away. That's all."

Bedelia drove a little faster now, probably out of anger and confusion. "And just _who_ gave you this bright idea, Will? You're not even seventeen years old yet!" She cried, speeding on.

Will checked her speedometer and saw that it was well above fifty now.

"Bedelia, calm down! I just wanted a challenge! I hate high school!" He cried, trying to calm her foster mother down.

"It doesn't matter what you love and what you detest, Will! You can't just go ahead and do whatever you find appealing on the spur of the moment without discussing it with me! I'm your mother!" She was nearly screaming now.

"STEP-MOTHER!" Will yelled back angrily.

Bedelia slammed on the breaks right away and pulled to the side of the road turning on her emergency signal lights as she just sat still as a statue.

Will wanted to shoot himself in the head. He had gone and done it again: hurt the best and most caring woman in his life.

_"Why couldn't I just have kept my mouth shut?"_

Bedelia was frozen stiff for a few long, stretched out minutes, before she broke down in a heavy sob. Her head came down on her steering wheel, her forehead resting on top of the wheel as her hair fell down over her face and covered the wheel. Her stomach heaved in and out violently as her cries grew louder and more strong.

Will unbuckled his seat belt, but did not move towards her.

"I'm so sorry Will! I just-y-y-you grew up so f-fast!" She sobbed as she placed a small, thin hand on her forehead once she had lifted her head off the steering wheel.

Will felt absolutely torn and shattered when he saw her pink eyes with tears streaming rapidly from them to land on her coat, staining it right away.

"I'm r-r-really proud of you, sweetheart, I am! I j-j-just don't know what I'm going to d-do when you leave for University!"

Will finally was able to command his muscles and body to move towards his foster mother. He wrapped his little hands around Bedelia, trying to hold her so he could comfort her and calm her down.

"I know I have absolutely n-no right and say as to what you ch-choose to do with your l-life, but I want you to know that I'll always b-be one-h-h-hundred percent behind you, supporting you, W-Will." She finally as she hiccupped and sobbed out.

Will smiled at her, feeling his eyes well up with tears of his own. He hugged Bedelia tightly and closer to him, running his fingers through her hair softly.

"I know you will." He stated calmly, his tears falling from his face.

"I'm so proud of you, Will." She whispered as her sobs finally ceased and her shaking stilled.

Will smiled happily, pulling out of their embrace to hold both of Bedelia's hands in his. He looked into her eyes, which were back to their beautiful calm blue color.

"I love you, mom."

She smiled and ran a hand down his cheek before kissing him on the top of his head. "I love you too, my son." She rested her cheek on top of his head, closing her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and rocked him slowly and gently in her arms.


	18. Over the Hills and onto the Battlefield

Chapter 18

Will whistled himself a little tune as he pulled out his textbooks for Geography for the remainder of the afternoon. Mrs. Watkins hardly ever assigned homework, which didn't bother anyone in the class, but they were expected to bring their textbook to every class session so they could formulate class discussions.

Will heard the warning bell go off, and he began to organize the inner contents of his locker quickly. His locker looked as if a hurricane had run through it. His winter coat still hung on the hook inside, but his pictures which were hanging on the inside of the locker door along with his schedule held up by magnets were hung crookedly about, some of the magnets turned upside down, some sliding down to the bottom of the door. His books were half open and some were set facing down with the spine all the way stretched open, piled up on top of each other. His wet winter boots rested on the top shelf on top of each other, the melted water and mud dripping down from them onto his books and old returned homework assignments.

Will was normally a very organized student, but he had been so stressed and excited over his acceptance to University and midterm exams and projects, that he had just turned his locker into a dumping site practically.

Will was trying to wrestle free his various loose sheets from under a huge pile of textbooks when he felt a presence behind him.

"Hello, Will." Hannibal's calm voice was directly behind his ear.

Will sighed. "I thought we weren't on speaking terms."

Hannibal chuckled. "I was never one to bear a grudge, Will."

"No, you just show it in other ways."

"Off to class then?" Hannibal asked.

"No. I'm going bungee-jumping." Will responded sarcastically.

"Don't be rude, Will. I despise rude people." Hannibal darkly warned as he turned and stood next to Will in front of his neighboring locker.

Will whipped around violently, yanking the books free from the bottom of his locker, pulling along with them all sorts of loose papers.

"Then don't ask stupid questions!" He growled.

Hannibal didn't say anything, but knelt down calmly and picked up Will's loose pages.

"I can do that myself." Will hissed under his breath as he struggled to collect all the pages. He had done so and threw them in his locker and slammed it shut, locking it up behind him. When he turned upon hearing the last bell, he faced Hannibal, who held Will's acceptance offer to UMBC.

"Congratulations, Will."

Will wanted to bash his head against the locker. He knew he shouldn't have brought the letter with him to school. But he had been so excited...

"Walk with me, Will." Hannibal said gently, pressing a hand on Will's back while he held the acceptance offer in the other.

They walked together forward slowly, and Will knew he was going to be late for Geography. But this was more important; he could tell as he felt the pressure on his back increase.

"I take it that the location of your chosen University is no coincidence." Hannibal stated gently.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I-"

"UMBC is only nineteen minutes away from Johns Hopkins Hospital, Will." Hannibal explained, his tone of voice indicating that he was bored already.

"So what?" Will hissed.

"It appears I inspired you more than I originally thought." Hannibal said as he walked down a corridor with Will.

They walked past a half-open custodian closet, grazing past Jimmy Price as he groped and heavily made out with the gothic detention monitor. The pair leapt apart when Hannibal and Will walked past them, the gothic older girl slapping Jimmy in the face. When Hannibal and Will were out of view and far away down the hall, she pulled Jimmy in for another passionate kiss, slamming the door shut.

"Are you following me, Will?" Hannibal asked softly when they reached the same stairwell Will had been in with when he hung out with Jimmy and Brian last semester.

Will rested his back against a white wall and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"Will?" Hannibal prodded gently.

"No! I just wanted to apply there because it is a great and infamous University, for one, and two, I want to get an early start studying Psychology and Sociology!" He covered quickly.

Hannibal smirked, his long white teeth showing slightly.

"I mean it! It has nothing to do with you!" Will snapped, finally looking away from Hannibal.

"If you say so, Will." Hannibal chuckled, crossing his strong hands over his white dress shirt covered chest.

Only the heater was heard in the span of the silence that hung between the two teenage boys. Suddenly Hannibal spoke: "I take it you enjoyed your romp with Brian Zeller? Did you stalk him as well?"

Will face-palmed. "I wasn't stalking you! I wanted to grab a book from the library same as anyone else!" Will cried, feeling the blush already coming.

Hannibal tilted his head to the side, but his expression remained calm. "I never knew grabbing a book from a library could turn out to be so adventurous..."

Will scratched at his back, though he truly did not feel uncomfortable. It finally registered within his mind that Hannibal was flirting with him; not mocking him.

"You're a very ambitious boy, Will. I find that trait quite admirable."

Will raised an eyebrow in question.

"We both know you applied to UMBC specifically to remain close to me for the next few years." Hannibal explained, cutting all bullshit and confusion.

Will only lowered his eyes down to his shoes and he studied the designs and patterns, wishing he was miles away from Hannibal and this conversation.

"I can help." Hannibal randomly said.

"With what?" Will snapped.

"I can help you prepare for your interview with the Dean of UMBC. It is only through the Dean's approval that you would be able to skip ahead from high school and attend University."

Will had already known these requirements, but nodded anyway. He couldn't believe Hannibal was offering to help him yet again, given how standoffish and rude Will had behaved towards the older boy lately.

"And why would you want to help me?" Will asked the burning question. Hannibal Lecter did not run a charity organization, nor was he well known for his random acts of kindness. There had to have been hidden motives behind the offer, Will was certain of it. The older boy had said it himself very clearly: The friendship they had was over. There was nothing else left.

Hannibal didn't move a muscle. "Can't you just trust me, Will? Is it really so difficult to believe that I genuinely care about your success and future?"

Will hung his head in shame. Perhaps he had been too paranoid lately and needed to stop taking everything so personally.

"I don't want to harm you, Will. I'd no sooner harm you than myself." Hannibal spoke with feeling, even though his face remained emotionless.

Will looked at Hannibal, searching his eyes for a hidden lie, but found none after several minutes.

"Are you going to take my offer?" Hannibal asked.

"That would be very beneficial, thank you..." He didn't know what else to say. Will only hoped he wouldn't come to regret the decision down the road.

Hannibal smirked and began walking towards the doors that lead to the portables outside. "You're late for class, Will." He said as he opened the door and let in a gust of cool air.

Will suddenly gasped, pushing himself off the wall he had been resting on earlier. "Thanks to YOU!" He accused, though it was the truth.

"Try not to get into anymore detentions, dear Will. I shall call you sometime." With that, Hannibal walked out with a little grin plastered onto his face.

Will's body shook violently as he followed Hannibal's path and opened the school doors to shout out after him: "I WON'T CALL YOU ANY TIME SOON!...AND I DON'T ROMP WITH BRIAN ZELLER!"

Will thought he almost imagined the little chuckle coming from Hannibal.

"You're not convincing enough, Will. Perhaps a crash course in Persuasion is in order?" Hannibal joked gently as he sat down on his dark green couch with Will across him on an old rocking chair, just about ready to pull out every single strand of hair on his head.

They had been indoors all Saturday morning and afternoon going over a "rough" outline of interview questions the Dean of any University was known to ask students who had been offered a scholarship and an early admittance. It was all a requirement before finalizing the registration at the University.

Hannibal had practically written out a script for Will, and they had gone over the word choice and over-all presentation of the script. Hannibal had instructed Will to be extemporaneous with his reading, and not merely memorize what he had written out for him; but speak from the heart more.

"Once more, Will." Hannibal requested as calmly as possible, for he sensed Will was running out of energy and patience. Not that Hannibal blamed him, though. Will had bused to Hannibal's house and reached the large home around ten in the morning, and since then they had been practicing and preparing without a break. Hannibal had been kind enough and courteous enough to prepare some Hors d'oeuvres which consisted of Mushrooms being cut up and served into neat diamond shapes on a ceramic white serving plate.

"Mushroom Polenta Diamonds, Will." Hannibal announced when Will had looked at the food for a long time in confusion.

"Roast peppers, six ounces of shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, one tablespoon of unsalted butter, one small minced onion, two tablespoons of dry wine..." Hannibal explained the ingredients as Will happily scarfed down the food. He really didn't care what was in the food; he was just too hungry.

"Delicious." He said once he had finished and wiped his mouth clean.

Hannibal smiled and helped himself to only one mushroom polenta.

"Now, Will, you are nervous about this interview, as I understand you should be, for it will determine the rest of your academic future and success," Hannibal said calmly as he crossed his grey and red design stripe suit dress pants. He was even wearing a black tie today, which made Will wonder why he had dressed so formally. Hannibal said he wanted to dress that way for added effect of their mock interview. He wanted to play the role of the Dean as best he could.

"...but you need to be well aware always of your vocabulary during the interview. Choose your words and phrases wisely."

Will didn't say anything for he knew Hannibal was not yet finished.

"Although understanding the process and theories behind successful interviewing is key, you need to continuously be aware that perceptions of self, the other party, how the other party sees you, and the situation are critical in determining how interviews progress and whether desired outcomes are achieved." He lectured as he kept his eyes on Will the entire time.

"Doesn't awareness of self often lead to obsession with it?" Will asked.

Hannibal smiled wider. "Clever question, Will. I admire your thought process. And no, not entirely. One must always try to reserve humility, no?"

"But not too much..." Will stared back, his eyes almost searching Hannibal's for an answer he didn't knew he wanted to find.

"You've improved along the lines of maintaining eye-contact, Will. For that, I commend you."

Will smiled. "Thank you. It's something I worked on for a few months until I gained perfection."

Hannibal mirrored a small smile in return. "Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, Will. Always remember that. If you start to accept it as your own identity, then others will be able to read it as well."

Will only nodded, full attention on Hannibal.

"And try to answer closed questions as best as you can; a lot of people and authority figures I'm afraid do not possess the necessary skills required for a fluent interview process. But you'll just have to adapt."

"Adapt, or run." Will finished with a grin. Hannibal paused and grinned back as well.

"Precisely."

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Hannibal Lecter." Will opened the front door of his house as his dogs ran excitedly, practically leaping and climbing on top of each other to welcome their favourite friend back home and greet the new guest.

Bedelia wore a black house coat and had it wrapped around her thin frame as she gently pushed the dogs back and walked forward to give her son a tiny hug while staring at Hannibal.

Hannibal smiled at her warmly and held out his hand. "Hannibal Lecter. Pleasure to meet you."

She smiled and shook his hand. "So this is the infamous tutor who saved Will from the horrors of English Literature?" She asked in an amused and proud tone of voice.

Hannibal chuckled. "I'm afraid your son has painted a god-like masterpiece representing what I am and what I do. But I'll take the compliment."

Bedelia and Will both laughed as Hannibal walked in the house, and reached down to pet a few of the excited dogs. They stood on their hind legs as they tried to eagerly lick and sniff Hannibal's face.

"I thought he didn't like animals..." Will scratched the back of his head as Bedelia took off his coat and took Hannibal's in her hand, placing them on a coat rack in the closet.

"May I offer you some coffee, Hannibal?" She asked, ever the greatest hostess.

"I prefer tea, if you don't mind." Hannibal said as he stood up and smiled gently.

Bedelia smiled and headed to the kitchen before calling out: "You boys make yourselves comfortable!"

"We will, mom!" Will called back happily. He was finally at peace with referring to Bedelia as "mom" and knew it would never change. There was no going back now, as Bedelia had proved to Will that she was the best mother for him and they needed each other the most right now.

Will turned to watch Hannibal, who had been staring at him the entire time, as if trying to listen in on his thoughts.

"D-do you want to see my room?" He asked shyly, stuffing his sweaty, shaky hands in his cream colored dress pants pockets.

Hannibal smirked and held out a hand gesturing towards a staircase at the end of the hallway. "You lead, I follow." He said almost seductively.

"I always have followed you, Hannibal. And I always will."

Their journey up the stairs was a silent one, as they passed rows of pictures hung on the wall in a neat diagonal angel which held pictures of Bedelia holding and hugging Will, Christmas photos of Winston and the rest of the dog gang wearing little Santa Claus hats or reindeer antler hats, Will's first photo with Santa, Will and Bedelia at an Easter-Egg Hunt, Will and Bedelia playing Frisbee with their dog family, having a picnic, and Will's first high school photo.

Will wished he had taken the photos down before leading Hannibal up the staircase, but it was too late for that now.

When they reached the top, Will's bedroom door was already open, displaying the clean contents within openly.

"I know my house isn't nearly as impressive as yours, but I hope you truly feel comfortable as my guest tonight." Will said, almost looking down at his feet before he caught himself reverting back to his old habits and focused as best he could on Hannibal's eyes.

"Nonsense, Will. I'm perfectly happy to be here with you and your mother tonight, and I wouldn't miss this for the world."

Will detected no sarcasm in Hannibal's voice, and lead him right into his room, first door on the right in the upper floor hallway and left the door partway open.

The room was decorated plainly, but it comforted Hannibal nevertheless. In the middle of the room was a small coffee table, and in front of it rested a small dark brown love-seat. Near the windows at the back of the room was a small study desk, which held Will's computer and a few books stacked very neatly and orderly in front of it and on top of the little rotating computer chair. A small ceiling fan with a light set was above them, and a small single bed rested in the far right corner of the room, near the door.

Will rushed to his closet, nearly alarming Hannibal, but then calmed the older boy when he pulled out a light blue bean-bag chair and pushed it to face the bed.

"Please excuse this, Hannibal, I just can't use the computer chair for now." He gestured over to the stack of books resting on said chair.

"Please take a seat on my bed."

Hannibal thanked Will and did as he was told. Both boys sat at the same time, the bed huffing under Hannibal's weight and the beanbag chair letting out a wheeze and some dust as Will plopped down onto it.

There was a brief silence at the sounds, and then both boys threw their heads back and laughed heartily.

It was moments like this that Will cherished and longed for most; moments that required no explanation and analysis. Just whatever felt right and whatever made his heart soar in the moment.

"I'm so sorry about this, Hannibal!" Will apologized as dust flew around the room before settling.

"No need for apologies, dear Will. It's been far too long since I spent time merely laughing with a good friend."

Will frowned. "I saw you laughing with Jack."

Hannibal stopped smiling. "I wish I could explain it to you now...but you do not trust me fully still."

Will didn't say anything, but looked down at the foot of the bed in shame. It was true: He still didn't know how to trust Hannibal entirely.

"It's been difficult, hasn't it?" Hannibal asked, even though he already knew the answer to that question.

"It has." Will answered simply.

"I wish there was more I could do to show you and prove to you that I can be trusted, Will," Hannibal sighed as he folded his hands in his lap, "...but I believe you need to learn that for yourself. Only you can convince yourself of that truth."

Will didn't make a gesture indicating he agreed or disagreed with that statement. He felt the need to be as neutral and mysterious as Hannibal had been ever since he entered Will's life. It wasn't that he was trying to play games with Hannibal; he just didn't want to get hurt repeatedly and become the older boy's folly.

Hannibal smirked. "Always thinking. You need to relax that mind of yours, Will."

Will laughed nervously. "Yeah...I will try."

"Come here, please." Will almost felt as if he had imagined hearing the gentle request. It was only when Hannibal repeated it that Will confirmed it hadn't been imagined.

He stood shakily on his two legs as he kept his eyes on the wall the bed rested against instead of Hannibal's eyes.

Hannibal tsked. "Will, I thought we had established your strength in keeping eye-contact."

"I'm s-sorry!" Will turned his gaze to look at Hannibal and blushed right away.

"Stop apologizing all the time." Hannibal whispered.

Will walked closer to the bed, as slowly as a snail. "Get a grip on yourself!"

"Sor-oh..." Will said clumsily as he remembered he'd been instructed not to apologize.

He finally reached the bed, and sat down side by-side with Hannibal. Hannibal turned and faced Will while Will sat facing forward, trying to look out the window to hide his nervousness.

A warm hand on his cheek nearly caused him to jump up into the ceiling of his room.

"Relax yourself, Will." Hannibal's smooth voice was next to his left ear and he began to obey almost immediately.

"That's it. I'm not going to harm you. I just want you to focus on my voice in your ear, my touch on your heated skin..." Hannibal's voice was getting closer and closer to Will; not just physically either.

Will closed his eyes and felt Hannibal's flesh stroking his stubbled cheek gently, and very passionately. He turned his neck and followed the touch as he leaned his head to rest next to Hannibal's.

"Your heartbeat is steady, I can feel it." Hannibal announced.

"Yes." Will stated as he felt the silence and calm of the room float around them, almost as if it were entrapping them in a bubble that only they were allowed to be in. This felt so...right...Will thought. Sitting here with Hannibal made his blood flow gracefully in his veins. He felt at peace for some reason or another and did not want the feeling to end or go away.

He felt the pressure of Hannibal's forehead resting against his own, and his eyes flew open to face Hannibal's eyes directly peering into his own.

Will felt frozen to the spot. What was Hannibal going to do or say? Will enjoyed the closeness, but he also feared it as well. He wasn't sure what this was they were experiencing together, but a large part of him yearned for more.

As if reading his thoughts and hearing his inner wishes, Hannibal leaned his head forward towards Will even more, his hand that held Will's face reaching down to hold his chin as he tilted Will's head upward and stared at him some more.

"Truly, utterly, unadulterated beauty I see before me." He simply said in awe and fascination, his eyes looking at Will's forehead, down to his eyes, his nose, and then his lips and chin as if gobbling up the art that was Will's sculpted skeletal frame.

Will's eyes fluttered down to watch Hannibal's lips. Those magnificent lips...

"Will..." Hannibal whispered as he inched his lips closer to Will's. Their lips were inches apart, and the gap was growing smaller and smaller by the millisecond.

Before they could completely close the gap and be connected, the thundering of dog paws echoed in the hallway and bounded over into Will's room as his dogs pushed open his bedroom door, panting and whining for attention.

Both boys leapt apart, but more so Will from Hannibal. Will's dogs jumped onto the bed, and slobbered Hannibal and Will with their tongues happily.

"Ah! Go away!' Will cried, trying to shield himself for the onslaught of dog breath.

"Will honey, your tea and refreshments are ready!" Bedelia called from downstairs.

Will sighed and pushed his dogs off his bed as he stood and brushed the dog hair and saliva off as best he could.

"The bathroom is right beside my room. Take your time, I'll meet you downstairs." He said to Hannibal, completely avoiding the older boy's eyes.

"Thank you, Will." Hannibal noticed the break in eye contact, but decided not to comment on it.

Will nodded and ushered his dogs out of his room as he bounded down the steps.

"What the hell was that!?"


	19. Point of No Return

**Chapter 19**

Will had spent majority of his lunch hour the next week back at school searching for Alana Bloom. He needed to see her. When Hannibal had left Will's home after tea, Will had barely managed to get four hours of sleep that same night. He had stayed up all night staring at his ceiling as he tried to piece together his new feelings for Hannibal.

Will wasn't an ignorant child; he knew full well that Hannibal was trying to kiss him that same night. But he was more interested in why the boy wanted to do such a thing. As far as Will was concerned, Hannibal Lecter's sexuality was labelled "non-existent" by everyone at Baltimore State High School. Will held his own doubts about that term when it came to Hannibal Lecter, but he felt it held some truth to it.

Hannibal had never been seen with a female friend, never dated anyone, never flirted. It was as easy as one-plus-one. While Will understood that this choice was most likely due to Hannibal spending all his time on his studies, but he often wondered why the older boy hadn't at least engaged in one small relationship with a girl. Perhaps a small fling or one night stand? No...Hannibal had grace, class, etiquette...

Will had never given it much thought until now, however. Will had also never observed Hannibal engaging in a sexual or romantic relationship with boys either, however. Will had no problems with homosexuals, he was certain of that. He actually supported the LGBT community, and tried to keep an open mind whenever a student in the past had come out as either a lesbian or a gay male. He just was certain of his own sexual orientation...at least until recently. It had been the way Hannibal held him that night. The way he looked at him, the things he whispered in his ear drove Will crazy with desire. Ever since Hannibal left his mark on Will, the younger boy's body had ached and burned for more.

All those new feelings he had experienced in his room with Hannibal had made him feel more alive than he ever had in years. While Will himself had never engaged in sexual or romantic relationships with girls, and he had never really had time to do so. Of course he was interested and curious, but now that he had a small taste of how it felt next to Hannibal, being touched by him, being held in his strong arms, Will wasn't so sure any sexual or intimate contact with a girl would dominate that otherworldly feeling Hannibal gave to him.

Will wasn't sure if he was having some sort of crisis in sexuality, but he found that he needed to at least be with Alana before he could go and face Hannibal. All during tea at Will's house, Hannibal kept his eyes on Will the entire night, as he listened to Bedelia speak and spoke back to her, engaging in the conversation skillfully, making the younger boy both nervous and highly aroused the entire time.

He'd felt his breath hitch in his throat as Hannibal's eyes bore into his while he wrapped his pink lips around his teacup and sipped ever so delicately.

Hannibal's eyes seemed to suggest that he wanted to do the same to Will as he had done with the teacup and the tea inside the cup, and it made Will want to leap over the table and plant his lips firmly on Hannibal's-even with Bedelia in the room with them.

Will wanted contact desperately, but he was not ready to engage in intimate relations with another boy. He was certain of that. He needed more time and more experiments of his own. He had been so wrapped in his own studies that he had longed to see Alana and progress their relationship further. While they weren't officially boyfriend and girlfriend yet, Will automatically assumed they would be after their kiss.

_"I wonder if kissing Hannibal will feel as good as kissing Alana did... it'll probably be even better, given how sexy his lips and mouth looks..."_ Will wondered as he searched the second and third floor of the school for Alana.

_"No! Stop these thoughts!"_ He growled in frustration as he shook his head. He was going insane after all.

Will didn't know Alana's class schedule, but he was certain she had lunch the same period that he did. He walked past her locker and slumped forward in disappointment when he found the area barren.

"Where is she?!" He whispered to himself.

The doors to the biology classroom suddenly opened, and Beverly Katz walked out in Will's direction. Both students paused as soon as they saw each other, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"What're _you_ doing here?" Will hissed at her.

"Mind your manners, Will!" Beverly warned as she flipped back her long dark hair.

"Whatever."

"You're looking for Alana, aren't you?" Beverly called when Will had turned his back to her and had begun to walk in the opposite direction.

He stopped and didn't turn to face her. "Yes."

"She's outside on the football fields, Will." Beverly said slowly, as if testing out the answer.

Will suddenly raced forward, heading for the staircase.

"No! Will! Don't go there!" He heard Beverly's voice grow more and more quiet and distant as he jumped down the stairs two at a time.

He burst through the back doors of the school, making a beeline for the football field. He was panting rapidly, his heart over-joyous to see her again. He ran up the hill, shoes crunching in the snow which had started to thaw and begin to melt; signalling spring was nearing.

Twice he tripped in the snow, but he leapt back up, eager to reach his destination. When he had finally reached the football field, he frowned. It was empty. Only the wind and a few ravens flew about calling to each other as if romancing one another.

"What?" Will mumbled numbly, finally shaking from the chill. He was about to turn back when he heard what sounded like a feminine cry straight ahead. Will looked ahead, past the goalie posts, past the old scoreboard...the scoreboard!

He had finally located the area where the sound was coming from. He walked towards the old and unused scoreboard as the feminine cry grew louder.

_"Is someone hurting someone else?"_ Will certainly didn't want to be the next victim in line, but if something serious was happening, he needed to report it to a teacher.

He kept walking until he was close enough to touch the old scoreboard. He heard a sharp intake of breath from behind the scoreboard. It was now or never.

He inhaled deeply and leapt around the side of the scoreboard to face whoever was behind it. As soon as he had, Will felt his heart drop down to his shoes, past them, and onto the cold wet snow below.

In front of him were Jack Crawford and Alana Bloom. Jack's back was towards Will, while in front of him with her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, was Alana Bloom. She was moaning and panting heavily into Jack's neck, while he ground his thick heavy body into her clothed one, slamming her repeatedly and passionately against the old wood of the scoreboard.

Alana's gloved hands ran up and down Jack's back, grabbing and touching everything and anything she came in contact with.

Will watched the display for a few second before he turned his body and then his neck very awkwardly and walked all the way down the field and back inside the school.

When he reached indoors, he saw Beverly standing right in the forum, as if she had been waiting for him the entire time. She was wringing her hands nervously but she stopped when Will entered the school.

_"I bet you're enjoying this so much, you twisted bitch!"_ Will was fueled by his anger. He strode over to Beverly, and stood tall, even though he was a few inches shorter than her and yelled at her darkly.

"Think it's funny, huh?" He screamed, immediately calling forth a large circle of students around himself and Beverly.

Beverly didn't pay attention to the gathering crowd. "I'm not laughing or smiling, Will. I don't think it's funny."

"You're a fucking liar!" He interrupted before she could explain herself further. He didn't want to hear it. He knew Beverly was as demented as her friend Alana. For all Will knew, both older girls had planned this with Jack all along.

Beverly gasped and stared at Will, wearing a hurt expression on her face.

"Don't give me that look! You were practically here flaunting it, waiting for my return so you could point and laugh at me! So go on then! Have your laugh at the joke of the school! Go on!"

Beverly shook her head 'no'. "I'd never do that to you, Will. I was calling out after you!"

"Bullshit!" Will argued back, earning whispers from the crowd around them.

"I WAS!" Beverly suddenly screamed back, making Will flinch.

He recovered quickly. "You knew all along!" He accused, pointing a finger in her face, just inches away from her nose.

"Yes I knew, Will. But I never intended for malice. I tried to stop you, to warn you...but you wouldn't listen, so I let you learn and observe it on your own for yourself."

Will felt even more shattered. "How could you do this to me?!"

"You did it to yourself! You allowed the snake to slither about, crawl up your leg and sink her teeth into your neck." Beverly explained as she backed away from Will.

"I HATE YOU!" Will suddenly screamed from the top of his lungs.

"I don't hate you; I pity you." Beverly retorted back calmly.

"Fuck you. I'm done, with you, with Alana, with everyone." Will said as cold as ice. With that, he turned and pushed his way out of the crowd and raced for the washroom as quickly as his legs could carry him.

Will didn't want to see anyone right, and it was his luck that the bathroom was empty once he burst inside and threw himself onto a sink. He grasped the sink tightly in his hands, his body shaking violently. He felt like a little lost leaf among a tornado. So lost, so helpless, and so easily forgotten.

Will slowly looked up at the bathroom mirror which hung above the sink and gazed at his own reflection looking back at him, almost appearing to be sorry for himself.

"You're absolutely pathetic." He whispered at himself in the mirror.

"You're a loser." He said as he watched his double whisper back.

"She never cared about you...you were a means to an end..."

"FUCK YOU!" Will yelled at himself as he reached out and threw a punch at the glass. The mirror immediately shattered into many pieces, majority of them falling down and landing in a pile in the sink below the mirror while the rest fell to the tiled bathroom floor.

No sooner had the glass landed on the floor when Will heard the bathroom door squeak open.

"Will?" He whipped around violently to face a worried Hannibal Lecter behind him.

Hannibal's eyes landed on the broken bathroom mirror, the pieces in the sink, the ones on the floor, and back to Will, his eyes taking in the now heavily bleeding hand that Will held close to his chest. Hannibal watched as the blood soaked Will's black sweatshirt, the stain only making the cloth darker.

"What have you done?!" Hannibal cried out as he approached Will.

"GO AWAY, HANNIBAL!" Will placed both hands on Hannibal's chest and shoved him as hard as he could into the door behind the older boy.

Hannibal held his ground, having the advantage of being taller and more built than Will, and didn't move a muscle. "I'm not leaving, Will." Hannibal announced calmly.

Will growled louder in his throat, feeling his eyes burning. "I SAID GET OUT!" He yelled as he bashed his fists against Hannibal's chest over and over. The red blood from Will's hand fell onto Hannibal's light blue dress shirt, and grew largely into a dark brown stain quickly. A few drops splattered upwards and landed on Hannibal's cheeks as Will continued to batter his hands into Hannibal's chest violently.

The tears were flowing freely down his cheeks now as Will heaved and sobbed harder than he had in years. "I c-c-can't!" Was all Will managed to cry out before he fell to his knees in front of Hannibal, sobbing loudly like a child.

Hannibal dropped to his knees quickly as well, and wrapped his hands around Will's body tightly. He held the crying boy closely to his own chest, resting his face against the top of Will's head.

"Shhh. It's ok, Will. It's going to be alright. Shhh." He soothed as he began rubbing Will's neck and back gently.

Will closed his eyes and sobbed harder and louder, his non-bloody hand reaching up and clutching the shoulder's of Hannibal's shirt tightly.

"Fuuuuuck!" Will cried out desperately, sinking his face into Hannibal's neck and crying onto his shoulder and neck.

"Shhh. I have you, Will. I'm not going to leave you. I swear it." Hannibal cooed at him, his hands continuing to rub Will's back in small circles.

"H-H-Hannib-b-bal!" Will hiccupped and kept crying.

Hannibal responded by holding onto the younger boy tighter than before. "Shhh, it's ok my dear, sweet Will."

"I'm s-s-s-so sorry!" Will cried, apologizing for the way he had treated Hannibal when he first entered the washroom.

"Stop apologizing, Will. You're allowed to feel this way. It's what makes you human." Hannibal said gently, his deep voice rumbling against Will's, resonating deep within his ribcage.

Will hiccupped once more and calmed down a bit. He felt Hannibal pull away slightly and whimpered in protest at being separated. Hannibal's body had been so warm and comforting against his own chilly one...

Warm lips were placed upon Will's forehead in a gentle pressure. Will closed his eyes immediately and held onto Hannibal as if his life depended on it.

"I'm here. I'm here." Hannibal repeated over and over against Will's forehead as he began rocking the younger boy gently in his arms.

Will suddenly knew what he had been looking for the entire time. He hadn't been looking for a few stolen kisses from Hannibal, or a night of experiment in order to validate his own sexuality and comfort zones; he had been deeply searching and yearning for a companion. Will had found his companion within Hannibal Lecter, and nothing or no one else was going to change Will's mind on the matter.

He held onto Hannibal tightly as both boys sat huddled together on the bathroom floor, Hannibal's hand holding gently onto Will's bleeding one, their fingers intertwined together as Will's blood continued to stain Hannibal's skin.

_"So much for hating physical contact."_ Will thought with a small, weak smile as he closed his eyes and rested against Hannibal's strong, supportive frame.

The boys remained in that position until the school nurse, Principal, and Dr. Chilton arrived to the bathroom to find the boys in that passionate embrace.

Once Will's minor wounds had been addressed by the school nurse, resulting in Will's hand being wrapped around with gauze tightly, (he had been so lucky he hadn't cut too deeply that he would need stitches), Bedelia had been called to come into the school.

Hannibal waited with Will inside the Principal's office, sitting right beside him as he rested a hand on the small of Will's back.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked in a most caring tone.

Will smiled and nodded at him. "I will if you stay here with me."

Hannibal smiled and leaned his head down close to Will's. "I won't leave, even if you push and beat the living hell out of me, Will."

Will giggled gently and turned his head upwards close to Hannibal. Hannibal's eyes were closing slightly, as he leaned forward, his eyes now on Will's lips.

"Alright gentlemen, you may take your seats. The pair broke apart slightly as soon as they heard the cool voice of Principal Prurnell call out from behind them.

The stoic principal walked into her office, leaving the door open for Bedelia, who was following close behind her. Bedelia rushed to Will's side right away and rested her forehead against her adopted son's.

"Honey! Are you ok?" She cried out, her breathing ragged.

Will felt remorse suddenly, knowing well enough that Bedelia had most likely raced to the school over the speed limit in order to reach him. He hated making her worry.

"I'm so sorry I made you worry, mom." He said gently, but held her hands in his, trying to prove to her he was safe and sound now.

Bedelia let out of a breath of relief before turning to face Hannibal. "I don't know how to thank you, Hannibal. If it weren't for you, my son would be lost." She threw her arms out and hugged Hannibal tightly.

Hannibal pet her reassuringly on the back while looking down at Will. "No need to thank me, Ms. Maurier. Will is a strong boy; he was already managing well enough by the time I arrived. He just needs to be reminded of how strong he is from time-to-time."

"Ahem." All three people turned to face Kade Prurnell, who was seated behind her desk with her hands clasped together on the desk's surface, observing them intently.

"If you would so kindly take a seat too, Ms. Maurier." She gestured to a seat near the door.

"Oh, of course." Bedelia sat down immediately, pulling her chair close to Will and Hannibal's.

Principal Prurnell turned her attention to Hannibal and Will. "What was the reason for the emotional outburst this afternoon, William?" She asked with a stern voice, her light colored eyebrow turned upwards in annoyance.

Kade Prurnell liked to run a school in which students were seen; not heard. She hated being disturbed in her office, and hated it even further whenever parents were involved.

"It was the result of a build-up of all sorts of things, really." Will explained gently.

"Such as?" She asked, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

"Class work was getting to me. Now I know that's not a sufficient excuse, nor am I presenting it as one. There was no excuse for the way I behaved today, I know it. I let my anger get the better of me. I yelled at an older student in front of at least fifty others. I broke a bathroom mirror in my anger, and nearly hurt my best friend, Hannibal Lecter. I have been so selfish, thinking the whole school needed to revolve around my problems. I let a personal issue with another peer get the better of me, and I am extremely ashamed of myself right now. I don't know where I can even begin in apologizing for what I have done and said. I am sorry to you, Principal Prurnell, for taking up your time and energy with this, interrupting your work, I am sorry to Hannibal for treating him as if he were my enemy rather than my friend," he paused when he felt Hannibal hold his hand gently but firmly under his chair, "...and I'm sorry most of all to my mother, Bedelia, for being so childish and giving her nothing but headaches when all she tried to do was show her love and support for me."

Will turned and looked deeply at Bedelia, watching as she dabbed at her eyes with her sleeve. "It's ok, sweetheart." She said in a shaky voice.

Will turned back to Principal Prurnell. "I also apologize sincerely to the rest of the staff and students for my actions. I only hope they can come to forgive me in their own time." He finished, bowing his head down in shame.

Silence was all Will was met with, when he heard the squeaking of Principal Prurnell's chair ahead of him.

"William, look at me please." She said sternly.

Will looked up right away, afraid of rousing her temper.

"You're a good student, Will Graham. I have been reviewing your student report and record for nearly a few months now, and I must say, I'm very impressed. In the last year, you managed to earn a ninety-seven percent in Mr. Gideon's class, as well as pull high eighties and nineties in all your other courses. That shows nothing but dedication to your education, and interest. Very admirable. I have also viewed your record and I am impressed yet again to see that you have applied and successfully gained an early acceptance scholarship into the University of Maryland...you also have an interview booked with the Dean in just three month's time..."

She continued, getting up from her chair and making her way over to Hannibal and Will.

"I have been a Principal at Baltimore State High School for over fifteen years now, Will. I have observed all sorts of students walk in through the front doors and leave after graduation in a bigger mess than they originally arrived in. But I can assure you, you're _not_ one of those students. You're one of the best, and I have seen some of the best students in my time suffer the most. It's not easy living up to the high expectations others set for us. I should know that better than anyone else..."

She sighed and sat down on top of her desk, arms crossed across her chest. "All that is taken highly into consideration, but I'm afraid I cannot be so lenient on you."

Will felt his heart stop beating. He was screwed. That was it. He was going to lose his scholarship, he was going to be suspended from school, he was never going to see Hannibal again.

"As much as I'd like to let you off the hook this one time, I'm afraid it would only encourage other students to follow your lead and think they can do just about anything and get away with it." She finished as she got off her desk and walked back to sit at her chair.

Hannibal suddenly stood up, eyes dark and angry as he glared at the Principal.

"Sit down, Mr. Lecter, I wasn't speaking to you." The Principal glared right back at him.

"Not until you hear what I have to offer you, Principal Prurnell."

The Principal rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lecter. Nothing you can say to back up your friend here is going to change my mind."

"I'm afraid you cannot be so sure, Principal Prurnell." Hannibal responded confidently.

The Principal looked as if she wanted to strangle Hannibal, but she let him speak. "Very well, what is it, then?"

Hannibal looked down at Will and then at the Principal. "I can prove that one of the students in the school is a drug addict and is using performance enhancing drugs in order to gain advantage of an early admittance and scholarship to a Sports College."


	20. Take a Bow and Smile

Chapter 20

**Author Note: Guys I am sorry to say that this story is winding down to an end! :-(**

**I sincerely hope you all enjoyed it immensely as I did when I was writing it!**

**Thank you to those who left me such wonderful reviews, you guys are my little bursts of inspiration and joy!  
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**Enjoy,**

**Avixi**

"Attention students and staff. This is Principal Prurnell speaking. I'd like to ask Mr. Jack Crawford to come down to my office right away. Thank you."

"The hell is this about?" Jack yelled as he walked down the halls towards the office after the announcement had been made.

Jack entered the office, immediately freezing once he saw Freddy Lounds, Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham, Brian Zeller, Dr. Chilton, a Police Officer, and Alana Bloom inside the office in front of Principal Prurnell's desk.

"What the-" He began.

"Close the door, Jack." Principal Prurnell instructed.

Jack did as she said and sat down next to Alana. "I didn't do shit." He growled out as he glared at Will and Hannibal.

"I'd advise you not to speak, young man." Dr. Chilton warned as he walked over to stand beside Principal Prurnell.

Principal Prurnell pulled out a form from the inside of her desk. "Mr. Crawford, this is your acceptance scholarship to the University of Maryland, College Park. Is that correct?" She asked.

Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's correct."

"You applied for this early admittance approximately the beginning of this year, is that correct?" She asked, setting the form down onto her desk.

"Correct." Jack stated and looked at the police officer. "What's this really about?"

Principal Prurnell held up the early acceptance form and motioned for the police offer to approach. The officer did so, and grabbed the sheet from her.

"I'm going to have to unfortunately inform you that your acceptance has been revoked, Mr. Crawford, and your scholarship has been lost."

"WHAT!?" Jack leapt up to his feet.

"Don't yell in my office, Mr. Crawford. You're not the only one suffering a loss today. Miss Bloom is also not going to be attending the University of Maryland, College Park for fitness and cheerleading programs."

Jack looked down at Alana. "Is this true?"

Alana nodded, wiping away teary eyes.

"You can't do this!" Jack yelled, clenching his fists tightly at his sides.

"Sit down, Mr. Crawford." The police officer was suddenly right beside Jack.

Jack didn't move.

"Sit down, else I'll have to make you sit down, and trust me, you wouldn't want for that to happen." He threatened in a deep voice.

Jack sat down and glared at Will.

"Don't look at Mr. Graham like that, Jack. He's not your enemy." Dr. Chilton stated as he nodded over at Hannibal.

Hannibal stood and reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small, clear plastic bag, which held a little cylinder vial containing blood within it. Hannibal handed the bag to Dr. Chilton.

"This is a sample of your blood, Mr. Crawford. I have already run my own tests on it as has Hannibal, and it has come out positive with evidence of Steroids in it. Your testosterone levels are all over the place, sky-high." Dr. Chilton looked down his nose snootily at Jack.

Jack gasped and turned to Hannibal. "I knew that accident in your kitchen while I helped you cut onions had been no accident! You let the blade cut me up on purpose!"

"Silence!" Principal Prurnell interrupted.

"Officer Malkey will take you down to police headquarters for a further urine test, Mr. Crawford." Dr. Chilton said calmly, handing over the bag to the police officer.

"What does this have to do with Alana?!" Jack asked as he looked at the sobbing Alana.

"She has already confessed, but she is being charged as an accessory to your crime due to the fact that she was aware of the issue, yet failed to report it to the police. We know that Alana paired up with you because you promised her your coach would prepare a reference letter for the both of you to get into Sports College. We also heard a confession from Miss Bloom about her revelation of Hannibal and Will's friendship, and her own plan which you had encouraged her to carry out, by the way, on getting close to Will for the purposes of extracting information from Will as to how much Hannibal and Will knew about your drug addiction. Officer Malkey has already taken down her statement." Principal Prurnell nodded over at the tall and muscular police officer and he nodded back in confirmation.

"So that's also why you became my 'friend'..." Jack looked over at Hannibal.

Hannibal nodded. "Indeed."

"Bastard."

"Watch your mouth!" Principal Prurnell yelled.

"He tricked me!" Jack yelled back, looking as if he was about to let loose any second and dive towards Hannibal.

"Jack you did this to yourself. You held the pen and parchment in your own two hands as you wrote down your own fate." Hannibal hissed.

"He's right, Mr. Crawford," Principal Prurnell began, "you are a disgrace to this entire school, you have shamed your family name, your parents, and your fellow students. You are a liar and a cheater, Mr. Crawford, and you will be dealt with after the police and medical staff down at the headquarters have taken you in for questioning and a Psychological evaluation. I hope you learn something from this today. I'm very disappointed in you, young man." She turned her head around and looked at Dr. Chilton with her cold, calculating eyes.

"You can take him away now." Dr. Chilton said.

Officer Malkey grabbed Jack with his large hands, and shackled his bound hands behind his back together and pushed him out the office door. "Let's go."

Jack stopped to give Will and Hannibal murderous glares before the office door was closed behind him by Freddy and Brian.

"And what of you two?" Will asked.

Freddy beamed down at him as Brian wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Brian was one of the first ones to notice Jack's problem. Since you all have gym together, he saw Jack one day in the change rooms with a strange plastic bag, and so he spied on him and finally found out."

"It's true." Brian nodded as he held Freddy close to his side.

"The headlines already read as such: Baltimore State High School's Crackdown on Drugs! The Battle That Has Been Won! It's going to be a national success!" Freddy said as she looked absent-mindedly ahead of her, hands clasped together on her chest.

"Who'd have thought that Freddy Lounds would do something positive with that big nose of hers?"

"We worked together for weeks and finally have a report about Jack's drug use that will alert and encourage other students to report signs of drugs to a parent or authority figure right away. It's for the benefit of the entire school!" Freddy said.

"That's right, sexy." Brian agreed, and he pulled Freddy in for a deep, open mouthed kiss right then and there in front of everyone.

"Alright, alright, enough of that." Principal Prurnell scrunched her nose up at the sight in front of her.

Will and Hannibal both shuddered as Freddy moaned gently and lift up a leg, posing like many silly romantic comedy book and movie covers.

"ENOUGH! Jesus!" Dr. Chilton screamed finally, causing everyone in the room to jump in fright.

"Sorry. I just can't get over my sexy girlfriend. She's so damn smart!" Brian said as he smacked Freddy's bottom, earning a flirty yelp from her.

"And I can't get enough of my handsome boyfriend!" Freddy cooed as she pinched Brian's cheek playfully.

"Alright that's it!" Principal Prurnell and Dr. Chilton both stood abruptly and made their way over to the love-sick couple, and opened the office door to show them out.

Once they had left, Alana got off her seat and ran towards Will, her eyes desperate and scared.

"Will, please! My parents are going to kill me if they find out about this!" She cried and tried to hold onto Will, but he pulled his arms away from her and turned away from her in disgust.

"Please Will! You have to help me!" Her head fell forward, the dark wavy hair covering that face that Will had once found so alluring.

"You disgust me, Alana. I don't ever want to see you or speak to you again. Get out of my sight." He hissed as he turned his body away from her completely.

"No! You can't!" She cried, holding her head in her hands.

"How could you do this to me? You knew how I felt about you..." Will said coldly.

"I don't care for Jack, honest! I just had no other choice...please understand me, Will!" She begged as she practically threw herself on her knees in a mock pose of seeking forgiveness in a religious, holy relic.

"Don't touch me." Will hissed through his teeth when he felt Alana's hand on his.

"I'd do as he says if I were you, Alana." Hannibal said coldly, removing Alana's hand from Will's as he looked at the door of the office.

Alana sobbed loudly as she got up and ran out of the office.

Hannibal wrapped a strong hand around Will neck and rested their foreheads together. "You did so well."

"You did. How did you get that close to Jack without him noticing?" Will asked as he smiled into Hannibal's dark eyes.

"It's a long story." Hannibal simply said as he helped Will up and exited the office with him.

****************************************************************************************

Two and a half months later

"Can we please have a round of applause for our Valedictorian? Come up to the stage please!" Every graduating twelfth grade student and the early acceptance scholarship program students clapped, whistled, and cheered as Hannibal Lecter walked up to the stadium's stage and stood behind the podium, standing tall and proudly before his fellow students and teachers.

He could hardly believe that spring had arrived and flown through as fast as lightning, bringing along with it the final exams of second semester, which Hannibal had earned high nineties in all courses.

He cleared his throat before he straightened the microphone in front of him as he gazed down at all the students below in their navy blue graduation gowns and matching navy blue caps as they held on to their high school diplomas happily. "If anyone were to ask me at the beginning of the year: "Are you proud?" I'd most likely have responded with: "No." Truth be told, I wasn't proud of myself at the start of the school year. I may seem confident, arrogant to some," he paused as several students and teachers laughed, "...but those were all masks I wore. I created some of them for myself on purpose, and some were created accidentally over the years I faced in solitude and isolation. Those years were painful, long, and absolutely dark. I didn't want to get close to anyone during those years. While my grades soared, my heart sunk. But I am now confident and most pleased to say that I in fact am proud! I'm proud of my friends, my classmates, my teachers, and myself. I learned so much throughout my five years with you all. But the most important lesson I learned is never to take anyone or anything for granted. Never take your loved ones and friends lightly. Attend to them, love them, and care for them as a little plant in a wild garden that needs utmost amounts of attention and care in order for it to grow to be the most magnificent tree in the garden. The journey we each take is different than anyone else's. It is for this reason that each and every one of you is special, and truly unique. The road we all travel will not always be easy, but remember to live each day at a time, enjoy your youth, and take a challenge whenever one is offered to you. I wish you all the very best, and enjoy yourselves over the summer!"

As soon as Hannibal's speech was finished, every single person in the stadium stood and gave Hannibal a well deserved standing ovation.

Principal Prurnell shook Hannibal's hand, wearing a proud smile on her face before she turned to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "Happy graduation!"

All two-hundred and sixty graduates threw their graduation caps into the air while they cheered and screamed for joy.

Hannibal walked down the stage steps and welcomed Will in his arms for a tight hug.

"Did you write that all on your own?" Will asked as he laughed gently and watched Hannibal straighten his graduation cap on his head.

"I had a little help along the way." Hannibal winked playfully.

Will reached up and turned the cap crooked again. "I know you did."

Will was about to stand on his tip-toes to pull Hannibal down for a kiss when he heard a voice behind him.

"Will! Will!" He turned and saw Franklyn rushing towards him like an eager puppy.

He felt all the air fly out of him as Franklyn jumped and threw himself onto him. Franklyn held tightly to Will.

"I don't want you to go! Who am I going to have lunch with?!" Franklyn cried dramatically in despair.

Will chuckled. "Hey, come on now Franklyn! You've still got Brian and Jimmy!"

"But they've all got girlfriends!" Franklyn retorted back, pointing him to reveal Brian and Freddy making out heavily, only to be pried apart within seconds by Principal Prurnell, and Jimmy and the gothic detention monitor sitting together on a bench, Jimmy wearing black lipstick, black nail polish, and a dark trench coat that nearly hid matching black combat boots that matched his new girlfriend's.

"Maybe you should find yourself a girlfriend too, Franklyn." Hannibal suggested as he smiled at the young boy.

Franklyn gasped. "You know what? I think it definitely is time!" With that, he shook Will's hand, and wrote down his cell phone number in Will and Hannibal's yearbooks and left to munch on the refreshments.

"Will! Over here sweetheart!" Will walked past the large graduating crowd of students to see Bedelia eagerly waving him over, holding a camera in her hands.

"Oh great." Will sighed.

Hannibal pushed him gently forward. "No time like the present."

Will hugged Bedelia tightly when he finally reached her, and she immediately covered his face in a napkin while straightening his graduation gown and cap.

"What the! Mom!" He cried, trying to get out of her clutches.

"Honey you have to look your best for the picture! Stop moving!" She licked the napkin and dabbed it at his face, scrubbing away harshly.

"No!" Will cried.

Hannibal laughed loudly, but stopped when Bedelia grabbed his hand and yanked him forward towards Will. "Hannibal get in the frame, I want this to go on top of my fireplace!" She stated ecstatically.

"Alright, a little more to the left...that's perfect!" She waved her free hand in the air and let out a little squeal, almost appearing to be like a teenager herself.

"One, two, three...say graduation!" She cried as she held the camera towards the boys proudly, bounding up and down with excitement.

Hannibal and Will wrapped their arms around each other casually and smiled their best smiles. "Graduation!"

CLICK!

********************************************************************************

Will walked towards the dark theater, with his diploma in his hands. Behind him, he heard Mr. Krendler yell out: "Will! Happy graduation, son. Remember to stay outta trouble, yeah?"

Will looked back at him and smiled. "I will, thank you Mr. Krendler."

He watched the gym and fitness teacher nod and give him a thumbs up before he walked down the hall and out of sight. Will was left to himself to walk down the large, empty theater while he looked up at the stage lights. Only the first row were on, and it gave the area a sad atmosphere.

Will helped himself up on the stage, and walked towards the left side of the stage stopping when he saw Clarice Starling sitting in a chair, reading a book.

"One journey ends, and another begins." She said gently, placing a bookmark in the page she was on and closing the book gently as she set it on her lap and looked up at Will with her beautiful blue eyes.

"I'm gonna miss you, Clarice." Will poured out, hearing his voice crack a little.

Clarice lowered her head, but Will caught a few tears. "I'm gonna miss you too, kiddo." She stood and walked over to Will, giving him a tight hug.

"You did so well in my class. A true shining example of a student." She said as she stepped back from the hug and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"You were one of the best teachers, Clarice." Will commented back.

"You're going to go places, kiddo, and accomplish so much more than what I did." Clarice said as she walked up and down the stage with Will.

"It's never too late, Clarice. You could start fresh too."

She nodded. "You know, I think I just might do that. I just might apply to the police academy, just like I always wanted to do so I could make my father proud." She looked down at the black stage and smiled.

They stopped when they had walked two full circles on the large stage.

"Clarice, since I am graduating and you're technically not my teacher anymore, can we play a little game?" Will asked, hoping he wasn't going over the lines.

Clarice thought for a bit, and then smiled. "Of course, Will. What kind of game?"

"Think of it as a parting gift. I ask you one personal question, and you can ask me one. Limits, of course." Will added.

Clarice smiled and adjusted her hair in a short ponytail and sat back down on the chair Will had found her sitting on when he first walked on stage. She crossed her black dress pants legs together and motioned for Will to sit down on the stage floor.

"Deal." She said once Will sat down.

"You can go first." Will said as he kept his eyes on her.

Clarice nodded and opened her mouth, but then closed it. She then took a deep breath. "I mean this in no offensive way, Will, please remember that."

Will began to panic. What was going to happen? "Of course." He said calmly, trying to maintain his composure.

Clarice sighed. "Are you in love with Hannibal Lecter?" She asked.

Will froze. After what seemed like hours, he finally dropped his eyes down onto the stage floor. "Yes, I am." He said meekly.

Clarice got down from her spot on the chair and held him tightly. "It's ok, Will, I want you to be happy with whomever you choose to be with!"

Will looked up at her with curious eyes. "Really?"

She nodded confidently. "Yes sweetie. Nothing wrong with loving another man if you're a man too."

"I don't know if I'm g-gay...I just...it's just for Hannibal that I have these feelings. No one else." Will explained as Clarice sat on her knees on the floor, staring intently at Will.

"It's ok to be scared, Will. These feelings are natural and more common your age." She said in hopes of comforting Will.

"Just make sure he never hurts you or tries to take advantage of you. Who cares what everyone else thinks! You can't spend your entire life trying to live up to everyone's expectations, Will. You have to sometimes look past that and live in the moment; seize the moment." Clarice folded her hands in her lap as she felt Will calm down significantly.

Will threw his arms around Clarice in a tight embrace. "Thank you for never judging me, Clarice." He said as happy as he could be.

"I'm in no position to do that, Will. You're in charge of your own life. Never forget that." She stood and brushed herself off before gathering the chair and pulling at the curtain rods to close the curtains.

Will got out of the way and watched as the last bits of light in the theater dimmed a bit.

"Wait! Clarice!" He yelled suddenly after her as he watched her gather her bag and books to exit the stage doors.

"I never got to ask..." He said calmly.

She stopped and turned back, leaning against the back stage doors, grinning at him in a friendly manner.

"Your accent...where is it from?" He asked desperately.

She laughed and Will was sure she wasn't going to answer as she shut off the lights and pulled out her key to lock the door, ushering Will out with her.

"West Virginia, Will."

************************************************************************************************************

**Awwww Clarice and Will's heart-to-heart was kind of sad to write, to be honest with you! :-(**

**I hate writing such adorable characters and then having to let them go =_=**


	21. A Journey Ends, Another Begins

**Chapter 21 **

Will listened to the wind whistling through the trees and the light padding of his dog's paws on the dark sidewalk as he walked his dogs that night with Hannibal by his side. Winston walked proudly next to Will, while the other dogs walked ahead of Hannibal, sniffing and playfully running around trees and fire hydrants that came across their path.

The streetlights and moon guided their way with bright lights as Will and Hannibal walked on forward, enjoying their first night of summer vacation.

"I can't believe Beverly forgave me for all the crazy things I yelled to her in front of everyone in the forum before my freak-out." Will said to himself and Hannibal as they walked. Will kicked a little pebble with his foot, and it flew in front of Winston, and the dog growled at it and snatched it up in his mouth while playfully shaking his head back and forth.

"Beverly's a kindred spirit, Will. I've known her for a few years. She easily forgives and forgets." Hannibal explained, his voice like a sweet melody against the night breeze.

"True, but I went over and beyond, Hannibal. I wish I hadn't let Alana trick me like that." He sighed but shrugged. "Oh well. I have learned and grown from it."

Winston growled at the pebble up ahead as he nudged it with his front paws, almost as if he expected it to come to life and run away from him.

"You're nearly prepared for that interview, Will." Hannibal said, changing the topic as he watched Will smile at Winston run forward, stop, look back at them, and then walk forward again.

"It's all thanks to you, Hannibal." Will said gently. He was grateful it was dark and that Hannibal couldn't exactly see him blushing madly in the night.

Hannibal smirked. "You earned it, Will. I was just your guide."

"No, you were always more than a guide, Hannibal." Will said as he walked a little closer to Hannibal. _"If only I could tell you how I truly feel...what I see in you..."_

Hannibal looked to Will, and boldly reached for his hand and held it as they walked down the street side-by-side.

Will gasped and stopped suddenly. "H-Hannibal?" He asked, but he didn't take his hand out of Hannibal's.

"I cannot wait to start a new life away from here, Will. I cannot wait to embark on my journey at Johns Hopkins..."

Will felt his heart drop a little. "Oh."

He didn't know why he had been expecting something else. _"Just getting excited over nothing, as usual."_

Hannibal was excited for his program, and Will needed to show support and encouragement.

"Well you worked hard for that, Hannibal." He laughed, trying as best he could to hide his disappointment.

Hannibal tightened his grip on Will's hand almost desperately suddenly. Will felt Hannibal's hand pulse rapidly, and soon the heat from his hand ran up into Will's, nearly making the other boy drop down from feeling light headed and dizzy. What one touch from the person you cared about so much could do to you...the power they held over you was incredibly raw and magnificent to behold.

"But what I cannot wait for the most, is to start it all with you..." Hannibal followed after Will had spoken.

Will looked up at Hannibal in shock. Was he hearing things correctly?!

"Yes, you heard me correctly." Hannibal said as if he had heard what Will's thoughts were.

"I don't know what to say..." Will said softly as his hair blew about gently in the wind.

"Perhaps you don't need to say anything...just...enjoy the moment." Hannibal looked into Will's eyes, and Will looked back at Hannibal.

After what seemed like hours of silent gazing at one another, Hannibal inhaled lightly.

He was about to say something, when he fell forward at the same time as Will, gently bumping their foreheads together.

"Oww!" Both boys cried, and looked down between their feet when they felt a warm presence. They looked down to see Winston tangled in the rest of the dog leashes, his body standing firmly in between their legs, with the dog leashes wrapped tightly around both Hannibal and Will's legs. They were trapped by Winston.

The golden dog looked up at Will as if to say: "Come on already, moron!", head titled and tongue lolling out as he panted happily and wagged his tail enthusiastically.

"Hannibal...I'm sorry about Winston-" Will began, but Hannibal held up a hand to silence him.

"What have I told you about apologizing to me, Will?"

Will looked down sadly and his shoulders slumped downwards.

"I said you don't need to apologize...because it makes you look so damn irresistible." As soon as he said it, Hannibal grabbed Will's chin in his strong hands, and placed his lips on Will's firmly.

Will immediately wrapped his hands around Hannibal's neck, pulling him in for deeper kiss as Winston moved out of the way, yipping and barking excitedly, encouraging the other dogs to do the same as they stood and watched, cheering their masters on.

Hannibal ran his hands through Will's dark, curly hair, running his tongue along Will's bottom lip, begging the younger boy for a more intimate kiss. Will happily obliged, opening his mouth for Hannibal's sweet, gentle tongue.

The dogs were going crazy, but Hannibal and Will didn't hear them. Their barking was drowned out by the thumping and thudding of both Hannibal and Will's hearts as they continued to kiss passionately under a streetlight in the dark summer night, from far away the moonlight making them glow brightly as they clung onto each other lovingly and happily.

_**Three months later**_

"Hannibal where is it? I can't hold these darn boxes anymore!" Will groaned as he carried two boxes in his arms. He tried to peek his head to the left, and then to the right as he made his way along the campus with Hannibal as they searched for the student housing and residence buildings.

Hannibal was also carrying boxes, but three. Since he was taller, he easily peered over the top box and avoided other busy students and professors as they bustled about the place, hurriedly trying to reach their set destinations.

Hannibal guided Will as he instructed him to calmly move to the right to avoid a skateboarding student, or to the left ever so slightly to miss a Frisbee tossed in the air as a few students engaged in a small game, running up and down the yards laughing happily.

Will was absolutely nothing but proud of Hannibal and himself. They were both on their way to achieving their goals and dreams, and they were doing so together. This was all Will wanted; to be here with Hannibal and care for him and support him every step of the way forward.

"We're nearly there, Will. A few more minutes of time, I promise." Hannibal called to Will gently as the other boy fell behind a little bit.

"You said that nearly twenty-five minutes ago!" Will ground out angrily as he felt a box pushing into his ribcage painfully.

"Allow me to take a box." Hannibal must have wisely sensed Will's discomfort, for he paused and set his boxes down, and picked the top one off Will's stack of only two.

"Thank you!" Will breathed out as he felt an immense load lift off. He held only one remaining box containing his and Hannibal's personal belongings including books, personal hygiene products, binders, pens, containers for food, clothing, and bedding materials.

Will finally had room to breathe, and gape at the wonderfully large campus they were on now. The campus itself was an old-fashioned type of building, and the courtyards were even more beautiful and grand. A large water fountain was in the center of the gardens, magnificent streams of water pouring around it. Flower beds littered the grounds, as vines that had pink and red roses growing over them and hedges wound around the walls of the building and windows in a very organized manner. The grass was short and well trimmed, an earthy smell flowing in the air. The campus building stood tall, small flying-buttress type decorations extending forth from it as flowerpots hung down from their hooks, decorating the left and right boardwalks the students walked up and down as they huddled together and laughed happily.

_"Home."_ Will thought, as he leaned his neck back and stared up at the beautiful sun gazing back down at them as if welcoming them to UMBC.

"WATCH OUT!" A voice bellowed out to them, but it was too late. Before Will had the chance to look back down and maneuver himself out of the way, he had crashed into another student who also was carrying a stack of books in his hands.

Books flew in the air as both students collided violently, majority of the other student's books falling on top of Will's skull and bashing it roughly.

"OWWW!" Will cried in pain as he tried to cover his head from the violent blows.

His box had toppled upside down, the contents (which thankfully were only new binders and notebooks for the term and not his underwear) about the grounds and lying in the grass a few meters away from him.

"Will!" Hannibal rushed to his side and placed a hand on his back, and another grabbed Will's hands. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Will hissed as he felt a few tears burning in his eyes. He was literally seeing stars.

Hannibal helped Will collect and place the box contents back inside, and when they were finished they turned to help the other student Will had run into accidentally.

The other student, a young, tall male roughly the same age as Will-perhaps a year older-was already at work on collecting his books from the grass. One final book rested just at the bottom of Hannibal's feet, in front of his toes.

Hannibal bent down and picked it up while Will stacked the boxes once more, trying not to look at other students around in the campus yards, who were gaping at them in shock.

Hannibal held the book in his hands, and picked off a stray grass blade and brushed off a bit of dirt and mud from it as he walked forward toward the other student.

"I sincerely apologize. We'll try to be more careful in the future." He handed the book to the other boy who grasped it slowly and gently, looking Hannibal in the eyes deeply.

"Have a good remainder of the day, Mr.? ..." Hannibal inquired as Will caught up to him, standing right beside him as he looked at the other student with neutral eyes.

The other boy immediately interrupted, as if someone had pressed a button somewhere on his back, jolting him to life. He gathered the book to his chest with his left hand, while holding out the right and grabbed Hannibal's hand to shake it joyously, smiling ear-to-ear. He stared at Hannibal, completely ignoring Will.

"Verger! Mason Verger."

END OF PART 1

**Notes:**

DUN DUN DUN!  
>What on earth have I done?! :O<p>

This is the sad end, peeps! It was an absolute pleasure and joy writing this fanfic! I uploaded the entire story tonight because today was my first day back at school, and that means I need to hit the books as hard as I can because I am graduating this year myself and heading to grad school (hopefully) hehe.  
>I apologize for uploading this all tonight and flooding people's bandwidth with this huge-ass document, haha, but I didn't want to put this story on a long four-month-long hiatus.<br>I will be working on the second part of this story probably some time after Christmas, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Thanks again to those who left me comments, you guys honestly encourage me to write more and more! BIG HUGZZZZ!  
>Oh, you all get cookies too :-)<p>

Avixi

P.S. Winston makes a hell of a good match maker XD


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